Posted on 09/26/2001 12:48:07 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
KABUL, Sept 26 (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 burnt an effigy of President George W. 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 spiralled 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.
Cool! I wonder if they would sell it to me. It would look great in the den!
Jane Fonda perhaps?
These are the "good people" we shouldn't bomb, right?
Major Problem there. The martyr is supposed to be met by 40 or 70 Virgins when he dies and goes to Allah Land.
They haven't got that many left.
My thoughts, exactly. This morning Fox announced approx. 200 million being sent to Afghanistan in medical and food supplies, why do we do this, this is a serious question...
This money should be sent to the families of the victims of WTC, Pentagon and Pa. crash, please tell me where I'm wrong in my thinking.....
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