HOME	Where the World's Views of America Come into Focus

By Noman Dost

May 12, 2005

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KABUL: Three more protestors were killed and several wounded as anti-U.S. demonstrations snowballed in Afghanistan on Thursday, prompting foreigners to flee the violence-hit cities.

  Thursday's killings in the Khogyani district of Nangarhar and Chak in central Maidan Wardak Province drove up the three-day death toll to seven during violent protests triggered by alleged desecration of the Holy Koran by American investigators at their naval base in Cuba {the Guantanamo Bay prison}. {Editor's Note: Newsweek magazine reported that U.S. soldiers during a prisoner interrogation, flushed at least one Koran down a toilet as an emotional taunt}.

The new casualties came in the Khogyani district, 33 km east of Jalalabad, and Chak district (Maidan Wardak), when police opened fire at demonstrators. Malik Tahir Khan, a tribal elder of Khogyani, said that two people were killed and one injured by police.

But Nangarhar Provincial Governor Haji Din Mohammad, who denied that anyone was  killed in incident, said: "Two protestors were injured when police fired into the air to disperse the mob. Employing peaceful means, we are trying to cope with the situation," he added.

In Kabul itself, some 500 university students marched in the street to condemn the act of sacrilege at Guantanamo Bay, and demanded punishment to deter the accused. They set aflame a U.S. flag while chanting "Death to American" and "Death to Bush."

Hundreds of people staged a demonstration in Batikot and Ghanikhel districts as well. They blocked the Jalalabad-Torkham Highway for a short time before being dispersed by riot police.

Governor Din Mohammad blamed the violence on saboteurs who played upon people's religious sentiments. "Nangarhar's people just wanted to hold a peaceful protest, but some anti-Afghan elements provoked them into violence, causing a trail of destruction."

In the Chak district, eyewitnesses claimed, one student was killed while nine others were hurt in police firing. Syed Azam, a student at Hazrat Farooq High School, identified the victim as Hamidullah. Nine of his colleagues were injured.

But Interior Ministry spokesman Dad Mohammad Rasa was unaware of the killing. "We have sent a delegation to the area to investigate. At the moment, I have no information in this regard," he said.

The protesters slammed police for resorting to shooting their weapons and causing bloodshed. "We were staging a peaceful demonstration but police started firing at us without any provocation," Mohammad Mohsin charged.

Students from three different universities coalesced in Kabul, where law-enforcement personnel had already taken stringent security measures, and marched calmly to Karta-e-Sakhi Square shouting anti-U.S. slogans all along the way.

They demanded that the Karzai government prevent U.S. forces from frisking and arresting Afghans and that it drop plans for a long-term American military presence in Afghanistan.

Reports of peaceful protests were also received from two northern provinces - Kapisa and Takhar. Abdul Raqib, a student of Albeiruni University in Kapisa, said: "The rally started from the campus and culminated in Gulbahar Town. If the government doesn't meet our demands, we will kick up a storm of protests," he warned.

For hours, some 1,000 people blocked the main road in Taluqan City and asked the Afghan government to categorically condemn the outrageous action of U.S. investigators.

Offices of two international relief organizations were attacked and an aid worker injured. Paul Barker, director of CARE International whose office was damaged in Mohammed Agha district in Logar, believed the students were being instigated into destroying offices and buildings.

"It's the symbols of this change in Afghanistan that have been singled out," said Paul Barker. "There are probably people around the country inciting this."

An angry mob stormed the Chak district police headquarters and set alight its weapons stock, resulting in an explosion.