Posted on 05/29/2006 1:00:44 PM PDT by Flavius
Tim Albone, correspondent for The Times in Kabul, was caught in today's riots which he believes could mark a turning point in the Afghan's relations with coalition forces
"We tried to get out to where the accident happened on the outskirts of the city. I went in an Afghan car with a translator and photographer.
"We managed to get to within about a half-hour drive of where the accident happened and could hear gunfire. We stopped to ask what was going on.
"The mob crowded around the car and people were shouting: 'Let's get them - let's skin them alive'. We got out of there pretty quickly and as we were leaving we noticed a car was following behind.
"As we came onto a roundabout we ducked behind another car, pulled up onto the pavement and managed to lose him, thanks to the skill of our driver.
"I've been in Kabul for nine months and there has never been anything like this before. There is a real feeling in the air that today Kabul changed. There has been a lot of fighting in the south but this has mainly been between the militias and the American forces.
"Today it was angry teenagers - kids who have got nothing else to do. They are angry because they see all of the money being pumped into Afghanistan but still have no jobs.
"They are angry at the Americans who they see driving around as if they own the place and who appear to have caused this accident and then tried to drive away.
"I've spoken to friends who work in Iraq and they say that there was one day when it all changed. That could be the case here. They have realised that they can take on the police and take on the Americans - they could easily do it again.
"When the cartoons of Muhammad were published we saw maybe 300 people on the streets protesting. Today they were there in their thousands. There was gunfire outside the door of the Times office for about an hour, we could hear machine guns crackling.
"It was quite frightening. We're only two streets away from the Care International offices which were set alight. We could see the flames.
"By evening, the security forces appeared to have restored order. It's now very quiet and there are lots of police around, although interestingly there were no American troops or ISAF [the NATO-led international peacekeeping force] forces.
"The Americans are saying that this was just one day of unrest, but I was speaking to one guy and he was shouting: 'Death to America - death to Karzai...' There is a growing mood that the locals want the Americans to leave but that is simply not possible at the moment."
"When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains and the women come out to cut up what remains, just roll to your rifle and blow out your brains and go to your God like a soldier."
We have some, and some important ones.
But the biggest intelligence failure of all was being fooled by the fact that because our intelligence agencies, diplomats and military were dealing with moderate semi-sane Muslims that these people had enough political weight to carry their countries forward.
This was 'Plan A' and I am afraid we will head towards 'Plan B', a war of annihilation like WWII if this effort fails. But 'Plan B' will come into effect either because we will stiffen our spine now and do what is necessary; or, we will dither and suffer another, even more devastating terrorist attack, which will be followed by a massive slaughter of towel heads.
In either case, there will be no peace until these scum are bludgeoned into submission.
Sounds like Crown Heights all over again. The cure for that was Rudy Giuliani.
These people have been treating each other like crap for centuries but because Americans have a traffic accident it becomes an issue.
Then get out of Dodge, Sissy.
You got that right. Gun em down!
I regard this as RAT MSM bullshit. The media has been celebrating every bit of bad news from Iraq and Afganistan for years, and this last few days they've really gone berserk.
yup you've noticed that as well
Yup. Succinct and sadly accurate.
Propaganda alert!
This reporter has obviously not cracked a history book. I am ashamed of what
Time has descended to, after being founded by two former Editors of the Yale Daily News, Britton Hadden and Henry Luce. That was still a good newspaper, when I was there, and its graduates made good journalists and wrote accurate, and historically based, stories.
Alas, no more.
P.S. info. My primary is over, but because of legal and ethical problems, the incumbent may withdraw/be forced out. He is also losing in the latest poll (5/28) to the Democrat challenger. I seek to be the replacement nominee. For more information see my website. I still need your help.
Congressman Billybob
I think it would be a good policy to reintroduce human sacrifice to Afganistan. We should round up a bordello of presstitutes and sacrifice them for the good of the country.
It would be a great day and in keeping with their most fervant desires, the sacrificial death could make a difference.
"I've spoken to friends who work in Iraq and they say that there was one day when it all changed.
Ya suppose he's talking about election day?
Afghani's are tired of media bias too
"This Old Wizard wasn't wrong,
Time for This One to come home.
Mr. Wizard
"This Old Wizard wasn't wrong,
Time for This One to come home".
Mr. Wizard
Sounds like there will be a new propaganda fight emerging
maybe these kids are paid to start the riots and scream lies (?)
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