We knew that this year was not going to be a peaceful one in Afghanistan with elections and the poppy eradication and now the desecration of the koran has added to the hot mix.
Escalating Violence in Afghanistan
The reported desecration of Korans in Cuba by US forces has lead to demonstrations and violence in cities around Afghanistan. The Coalition forces and local police killing demonstrators and seriously injuring many more in Jalalabad did not exactly reduce the tension. Foreigners have been evacuated from a number of provinces as the protests spread. Offices were looted and cars smashed. Rioters’ searcher for foreigners and anyone working for internationals. I met a young student in Kabul after she had been evacuated from Jalalabad. She was doing some research there when things blew up. She ran into a house and could hear the shooting and crowds outside looking for foreigners. The women of the house, supposedly worried about their own safety, gave her a burka to put on and told her to go. She did not. A friend of mine is still in Jalalabad as one of a few essential staff for a UN agency. President Karzai said that the protests were a manifestation of democracy and that it was not an anti-American sentiment. Accuse me of making presumptions but thousands of people shouting, ‘Death to America’ sounds a little anti American to me.
In Kabul over the last two days we have been on alert and confined to accommodation and office. There was intelligence that there would be an attack outside our office but it did not materialize. If an attack is reported in a specific location then it rarely happens. Today there were demonstrations in Kabul but the protesters were prevented from entering the city centre. It is a little disconcerting knowing that there are a large number of people hunting for foreigners because US troops desecrated the Koran in Cuba. Shouting ‘I hate the bastards also’ would not help.
The desecration of the Koran was the trigger this time. With fine weather, poppy eradication and elections coming a lot more violence is expected this year. Last year large bribes to commanders by the Americans ensured peaceful elections. I do not think this will be sufficient this year.
So America brings peace to another country. The idiots have a fantastic capacity to screw things up.
The reported desecration of Korans in Cuba by US forces has lead to demonstrations and violence in cities around Afghanistan. The Coalition forces and local police killing demonstrators and seriously injuring many more in Jalalabad did not exactly reduce the tension. Foreigners have been evacuated from a number of provinces as the protests spread. Offices were looted and cars smashed. Rioters’ searcher for foreigners and anyone working for internationals. I met a young student in Kabul after she had been evacuated from Jalalabad. She was doing some research there when things blew up. She ran into a house and could hear the shooting and crowds outside looking for foreigners. The women of the house, supposedly worried about their own safety, gave her a burka to put on and told her to go. She did not. A friend of mine is still in Jalalabad as one of a few essential staff for a UN agency. President Karzai said that the protests were a manifestation of democracy and that it was not an anti-American sentiment. Accuse me of making presumptions but thousands of people shouting, ‘Death to America’ sounds a little anti American to me.
In Kabul over the last two days we have been on alert and confined to accommodation and office. There was intelligence that there would be an attack outside our office but it did not materialize. If an attack is reported in a specific location then it rarely happens. Today there were demonstrations in Kabul but the protesters were prevented from entering the city centre. It is a little disconcerting knowing that there are a large number of people hunting for foreigners because US troops desecrated the Koran in Cuba. Shouting ‘I hate the bastards also’ would not help.
The desecration of the Koran was the trigger this time. With fine weather, poppy eradication and elections coming a lot more violence is expected this year. Last year large bribes to commanders by the Americans ensured peaceful elections. I do not think this will be sufficient this year.
So America brings peace to another country. The idiots have a fantastic capacity to screw things up.
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