patrick quinn, thanks for joining us. we understand that the attacks are still continuing tonight. >> that's correct. a lone gunman remains inside the building that overlooks the u.s. embassy and continues to fight afghan forces. afghan forces have opened up with heavy machine guns, tracer fire can be seen impacting the building. it's been 12 hours since at least four or five taliban entered that building. 12 hours later one of them is still there. he's still fighting afghan security forces. >> ifill: patrick, how unusual is it that an attack of this kind would happen in the diplomatic district of kabul? >> well, this attack is very unusual to start with. it's probably the most complex and coordinated attack that has ever taken place in kabul. it's probably the most significant attack that's happened in the so-called diplomatic quarter. we've never had so many... there were a total of four attacks today. three suicide bombers and this attack. this has never happend before. this level of complexity and coordination is extr

on the newshour tonight, margaret warner gets the latest on the assassination from patrick quinn of the associated press in kabul. >> woodruff: then we look at shifting arguments for and against the death penalty, as a parole board in georgia rejects clemency for a man slated to be executed tomorrow. >> ifill: we talk to two now openly gay members of the military on the day the pentagon officially ends "don't ask, don't tell." >> woodruff: spencer michels tells the story of an opera that recounts the life and death of a man who saved others in vietnam and again at ground zero. >> he had no choice. duty came before anything else. duty to one's fellow man takes precedence over all other values. >> ifill: and hari sreenivasan has a follow-up to yesterday's conversation about big money in college athletics, this time with n.c.a.a. historian joseph crowley. >> woodruff: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: somebody has got to get serious. >> i think... >> we need renewable energy. >> ...renewable energy is vital to our planet. >> yo

host: we are talking with patrick quinn of the associated press. nearly 80 american soldiers wounded in the attack. where is the taliban primarily located? are they training for these types of suicide missions? guest: the taliban are over -- are all over afghanistan. they are concentrated in the kandahar. and in the east, in pakistan. the insurgents are training, getting them weapons, maintaining safe havens just across the border in pakistan, in these lawless, tribal areas. most of the ruling council is also located in pakistan. basically, they are rearming and training in a place where the united states has no troop presence. united states and the international coalition depends on pakistanis to deal with some of these insurgents. that relationship has not been good. host: on the eve of the 9/11 ceremonies around the world, an attack has taken place injuring 80 american soldiers. no u.s. casualties at this point, correct? guest: that is correct. there were no u.s. casualties. nato has lost about five soldiers in the attack. fighting is still goin

patrick quinn is the bureau chief there for the associated press.an you explain to us what is transpiring today? caller: a group of insurgents with assault rifles occupied a very tall building and started firing at the embassy, nato headquarters and offices of the afghan intelligence service. random rockets are being fired all over. especially the areas where the foreign embassies are located. there are no injuries at the embassy itself. one police officer and two insurgents have been killed so far. gunbattle are raging all over downtown, mostly in the area near the embassy. host: what other kinds of responses are there, for the folks guarding the embassy? can you speak about the push back you have seen? caller: there is very little that i can tell you. kabul is an armed fortress. this is their third major attack in a month. they attacked a british diplomatic office just a couple of weeks ago. a number of people were killed there. and they attacked a major hotel exactly one month ago. right now the afghan police, nato and u.s. forces are fighting th