Afghan protesters march against civilian deaths
Source: Agencies |
March 7, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
HUNDREDS of people chanting "Death to America" protested in Kabul yesterday against a spate of civilian casualties caused by international forces, a sign of the simmering anti-Western emotion among many ordinary Afghans.
The demonstrators marched through the center of the capital, some carrying banners bearing -pictures of blood-covered dead children they said were killed in air strikes by foreign forces.
The protest came five days after nine Afghan boys were gunned down by two attack helicopters as they collected firewood in eastern Kunar province.
The incident, in a volatile area that has seen a recent spike in foreign military operations, prompted a rare public apology from the top two United States military officers in Afghanistan.
US President Barack Obama also expressed "deep regret" over the killings to Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the United Nations called for a review of air strikes by foreign forces in Afghanistan.
"We will never forgive the blood shed by our innocent Afghans who were killed by NATO forces," said protester Ahmad Baseer.
"The Kunar incident is not the first and it will not be the last time civilian casualties are caused by foreign troops. All we can do is protest and condemn it," he continued.
Dozens of women were also among the protesters, a rare occurrence in a country where women are largely banned from public life. Using loudspeakers, some of the women chanted: "We don't want Americans, we don't want the Taliban, we want peace."
Civilian casualties caused by NATO-led and Afghan forces hunting insurgents have again become a major source of friction between Karzai and his Western backers, even though UN figures show that more than three-quarters are caused by insurgents.
In the latest attack by insurgents, 12 civilians were killed yesterday when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in southeastern -Paktika province, governor Mohebullah Sameem said.
The incident took place in Waza Khwa district as they travelled from neighboring Pakistan.
The demonstrators marched through the center of the capital, some carrying banners bearing -pictures of blood-covered dead children they said were killed in air strikes by foreign forces.
The protest came five days after nine Afghan boys were gunned down by two attack helicopters as they collected firewood in eastern Kunar province.
The incident, in a volatile area that has seen a recent spike in foreign military operations, prompted a rare public apology from the top two United States military officers in Afghanistan.
US President Barack Obama also expressed "deep regret" over the killings to Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the United Nations called for a review of air strikes by foreign forces in Afghanistan.
"We will never forgive the blood shed by our innocent Afghans who were killed by NATO forces," said protester Ahmad Baseer.
"The Kunar incident is not the first and it will not be the last time civilian casualties are caused by foreign troops. All we can do is protest and condemn it," he continued.
Dozens of women were also among the protesters, a rare occurrence in a country where women are largely banned from public life. Using loudspeakers, some of the women chanted: "We don't want Americans, we don't want the Taliban, we want peace."
Civilian casualties caused by NATO-led and Afghan forces hunting insurgents have again become a major source of friction between Karzai and his Western backers, even though UN figures show that more than three-quarters are caused by insurgents.
In the latest attack by insurgents, 12 civilians were killed yesterday when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in southeastern -Paktika province, governor Mohebullah Sameem said.
The incident took place in Waza Khwa district as they travelled from neighboring Pakistan.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
