US Embassy Building in Kabul Torched

Reuters | 9/26/01

[kattracks]

DUBAI (Reuters) - The Gulf Arab Jazeera television network said on Wednesday Afghan demonstrators had set fire to the U.S. embassy building in Kabul.

The Qatar-based channel showed live pictures from the Afghan capital of smoke rising from what it said was a building that housed the U.S. embassy.

It said the fire had been started by demonstrators protesting against U.S. plans to launch an attack on the country in retaliation for the refusal of the ruling Taliban to hand over Osama bin Laden, top suspect in the September 11 attacks on targets in the United States.

[Hank Rearden]

Might save us the trouble of leveling it along with the rest of Kabul.

[KantianBurke]

Sheesh that building is still standing? One would think after 25 years of not being occupied it would have collapsed.

[d4now]

If it doesn't offend anyone we might just do something about it. Maybe. If it's alright with everyone.

[StoneColdGOP]

LOL, they're burning a building we USED TO occupy.

Good job, Taliban. You're right on top of things.

[Texas_Jarhead]

Thank God they've got a Marine guard. If push comes to shove hopefully the embassador won't tie their hands lest we see dead Americans drug through the streets ala Somalia.

[Texas_Jarhead]

Whoops. Didn't realize it was empty. What a dud, but hey I never miss an opportunity to cheer for the Corps.

1 - 2 - 3 - 4
I love the Marine Corps!

[rebdov]

The only building left standing and they knock it down? Are caves that comfortable?

Why is it if you look all across the map of the region only Afghanistan has never had a national railroad. I mean none ever. Obviously they never had the need for a railroad. What could they ship, bags of opium?

[ambrose]

These people are a disease, and this is the cure:

[My Favorite Headache]

They can come over and torch this one car I have. Looking to get rid of it. What are they going to do when the temp. gets near 7000 degrees?

[HiTech RedNeck]

If it was a building to the standard of the rest of Kabul, it might have been two cardboard sheets and a tattered Persian rug.

[Lion's Cub]

One less building we have to search...

[Recovering_Democrat]

Sounds like the same idiots in Los Angeles who burned their OWN city down in protest. LOL.

[stylin_geek]

It was the only building in Kabul that was built of flammable materials. Hard to get a mud hut to burn.

[kattracks]

Afghan Crowd Storms, Burns U.S. Embassy in Kabul

by Sayed Salahuddin

Wednesday, September 26, 2001 3:39 a.m. EDT

KABUL (Reuters) - Thousands of angry Afghans stormed and set fire to the long-deserted U.S. embassy in the capital, Kabul, as part of huge protests against threatened U.S. strikes.

Two Taliban fighters climbed on to the building and used a hammer and an iron rod to rip off the U.S. seal from over the main door to the old office of the ambassador.

All U.S. diplomats and staff left the embassy just before the Soviet Union abandoned its occupation of Afghanistan in 1989 and the United States has maintained only a skeleton local staff and has no diplomatic ties with the isolated purist Taliban rulers of Afghanistan.

"Death to Bush," shouted tens of thousands of protesters, mostly government officials and students, who marched through the city to protest against U.S. demands that the Taliban hand over Osama bin Laden, chief suspect in this month's devastating suicide plane attacks.

"We will support Islam and bin Laden," they chanted.

The protesters burned an effigy of President Bush, ripped apart a U.S. flag and hurled stones at the gates and offices of the embassy before setting it alight.

Several marchers and Taliban fighters were injured by stones.

"The U.S. government should learn a lesson from our defeat of the Russians and the British," they shouted.

"Others like them and their embassy, they will be trampled under the feet of Muslims and Afghans," one protester said.

"God is great," shouted the demonstrators.

A huge plume of smoke spiraled into the sky above the compound and Taliban fighters tried to disperse the crowd.

Fire fighters fought in vain to extinguish the flames, which were spreading from a car park filled with dilapidated vehicles stored in disused garages.

Local staff of the embassy had already evacuated the compound.

Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited.

[stumpy]

Bear in mind the Carter fathead in Iran told the Marines to "not repel borders". Guess he never saw 55 days at Peking. Semper Fi Bro. '65-'69

[Ronin]

Hey, it's only been closed since the 1970s. We know better than to expect that word to penetrate Marine skulls in that limited amount of time.

Heh, heh, heh...

[Gracey]

Geez, It was probably the best real estate in the country. It probably was a palace.

[Texas_Jarhead]

Thanks so much. I experienced the dreaded combination of knee jerk and brain fart. This can be a deadly condition but fortunately my body is use to it. If I'm ever in your neighborhood maybe I'll drop in give you a demo.

[PoisedWoman]

Isn't Jesse Jackson headed for Kabul? Wonder if he got there yet and where he was staying.