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Thousands Protest in Afghanistan
Police fired into the air in an attempt to disperse demonstrators on the biggest protests since unrest erupted last week over plans by a US pastor to burn the Koran. The pastor has since suspended the plan.
Afghan protesters chant anti-US slogans in Afghanistan's capital Kabul this morning. (Photograph: Ahmad Masood/Reuters) "There are more than 10,000 of the demonstrators and some of them are waving the Taliban flag," police officer Mohammad Usman said.
The protests come three days before a parliamentary election which the Taliban have vowed to disrupt. The election is a key test of stability in Afghanistan before US president Barack Obama conducts a war strategy review in December.
They follow three days of protests at the weekend over plans by Florida Pastor Terry Jones, which he later abandoned, to burn copies of the Koran to mark the anniversary of the September 11th, 2001, hijacked airliner attacks on the US.
Three people were killed in those protests. Observers including the top UN diplomat in Afghanistan had warned the Taliban may try to exploit the Koran-burning protests.
A police source later said one person had been killed and five wounded, and that the toll could rise.
The protests were the Reuters television pictures showed protesters waving large white flags, the symbol used by Taliban supporters. A spokesman for the the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, said group was aware of the protests but had no role in them.
"People may have raised the Taliban flags to show their sentiment and sympathy for the Taliban," he said.
At the Pul-e-Kandahari, or Kandahar bridge in Kabul, police were ordered to advance towards one group of hundreds of protesters who were throwing stones and shouting "Death to American slaves" at police.
Police were seen firing into the air and dragging away several protesters. At one point, volleys of gunfire could be heard. The protesters scattered, some sheltering in nearby houses in the mainly ethnic Pashtun and Tajik area of Kabul.
The protesters earlier gathered in the west of the capital, burning tyres and blocking a main highway link to the south.
Thick black smoke rose above the area and police kept journalists several hundred metres back. Witnesses at the scene saw two unconscious people, covered in blood, being carried away suffering what appeared to be gunshot wounds.
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Show AllExcellent news. Now if only we can see the moribund antiwar movement doing the same thing in the United States.
Only way that will happen in the US is to provide free all-you-can-eat BBQ & pissy beer.
Yes, even the defacto draft that has resulted from the current economic depression hasn't awakened the domestic anti-war movement.
Afghans don't have sports arenas in every village - they have to be 'civic minded' or their families will be blown to bits. The US 'anti-war movement' is too busy with their vicarious adventures to actually do ANYTHING to motivate people. Instead of going house-to-house or preaching to the choir, why not show up at those obsequious obnoxious 'sporting events' and hand out pamphlets, like they did in the old days? And actually TALK to the people being distracted from their civic duties - or is the 'Left' (what a joke, in the US) also busy supporting wealthy pro-sports-team owners? (And giving them hefty tax breaks.)
Well they could actually try and talk to the tea party people... Since they actually have the gall to defy the GOP and elect unapproved candidates. When was the last time progressives had that kind of success? As nobody approved of the bankster bailouts there was plenty to agree on. Ron Paul has extended his hand to the left on numerous occasions only to get called a racist. Lol. The tea party people are "unsophisticated" white working class people though... So eeeewwwww... Progressives could never stoop so low as to talk to them... Not until they come crawling on their knees and beg for help....and promise to never shop at wallmart...and recycle... And become vegetarians... And only take public transportation... And admit white people are born evil... And become atheists... And support abortion... Etc. Then maybe progressives can talk to them.
MUTUAL GRATIFICATION -- TREAT ME EQUAL OR ELSE
We live in a fake morality ruled by some factious “Creator” who has decreed that, “All men are created equal.”
So, we all deserve to be equal with equal wealth and equal everything.
And so, we do not have to lift a finger to help anyone, not until after we get the equality we deserve.
Anyone who protests the U.S. in a foreign country (and, actually, even here in the U.S.) are considered "terrorists" or "terrorist-sympathizers" by the U.S. government. Just like all those "insurgents" in Iraq and Afghanistan who fight back against the U.S. invaders. They are not native patriots, protecting their homeland against the invaders - oh no, they are "terrorists," or "insurgents," committing horrific crimes by actually - gasp - firing at and fighting back against AMERICAN soldiers!! Bastards.
I love American exceptionalism. Anything - ANYTHING - we do is perfectly ok and good and fine, even invading other countries and killing hundreds of thousands of their citizens (oops, sorry, I meant "collateral damage"). But if any other so much as raises a sign in protest against the mighty U.S., they are nothing more than terrorist slime.
We are the ultimate nation of hypocrites. I am ashamed of my country.
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross."
In my dreams, the anti-war movement is just as enthusiastic and numerous as the people that go crazy over NFL and College football. If all those football stadiums across America could be filled every Saturday and Sunday with anti-war protesters lead by cheerleaders yelling anti-war chants....Yeah, I know, that is the impossible dream!
Um, excuse me, but all that crazy pro-sports-team-crapola is doing EXACTLY what it's supposed to do - distract people from the REAL issues of the day and keep them 'safely' on the corporate (fascist) 'team' track (Wal-Mart anyone?) - or doesn't Nazi Germany's sports obsession ring a bell with anyone ??? How about Japanese-style corporate cheerleading ??? (Weren't they the 'other guys' we were fighting back in WWII?)
GET REAL !!! Football, baseball, and whatever other vicarious 'sports-watching' is intended to rally people to the WRONG CAUSE for the WRONG reasons - so they won't 'wake up' and rally for their own welfare and the common good. Corporations pay experts (psychologists,etc) a lot of money to keep people watching those idiot boxes and filling those 'stadiums' - the modern version of the Roman coliseums (fills the same purpose). And in both cases, people are encouraged to merely observe - not actively participate in ANYTHING. Cheering for 'your' team (they actually belong to wealthy owners) makes YOU a sucker for the guys who rake in the bucks and keep you and yours impoverished and enslaved. Good little Germans. Good little slaves - no doubt waiting on Sparticus to save them, ala Obama (ha-ha-ha ROFLOL !!!). Why isn't anyone protesting in front of those colos... stadiums???
I agree with you! We should be protesting in front of sports stadiums -- in most cases, too, "we the people" funded the building of the stadiums. Your idea about pamphleting at stadiums is good, too. If the voters fund the building of the stadiums, the stadiums and the surrounding areas, technically, belong to us and NOT to private interests. Although, the ticket prices continue to rise, and salaries for sports stars continue to rise, too. These entities suck far too much real wealth out of our economy. Too much money into too few hands and bank accounts.
During the first part of this year, I was watching an old episode of "Law and Order" on TNT during the late afternoon, and later that night, TNT would be broadcasting the NBA game. During a commercial of "Law and Order," I wasn't really paying attention, when I heard the narration of the ad say -- "brought to you by the U.S. Marine Corps." I thought I must have missed something, and at the next commercial break, I paid close attention, and sure enough, they rebroadcast the same ad for that evening's NBA game, brought to you/sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corps. This means that "we the people" are paying for commercials on TV -- M$M, with the money circling around from taxes, to MIC, to M$M, to sports teams. They get us coming and going!
Since I seldom watch TV, I have NO idea how often ads like this actually run -- my own TV is hooked up to a DVD player. However, my son's TV is hooked up to cable, and when he is gone, sometimes, I watch a show or two, although, as time passes, there are fewer and fewer shows that catch my eyes and ears.
Yeah, that Gainesville...sorry about all that fuss.
Actually, those ads are just the tip of the iceberg of money spent for recruiting and propaganda. Whole drag racing and NASCAR stick car team are paid for. Extreme sports like the X-games. On and on; all in the quest of enticing young thrill seekers to sign up.
There was a high school field trip out to Gatornationals one year, but before the kids got off the bus they had to fill out a recruiter's form. But then they could go and meet Tony Schumacher, driver of the US Army Top Fuel racecar.
Armybrat and Kay Johnson. How true! I enjoyed your posts.
Lmao... You guys so lost. As I mentioned before. The only movement operating outside the control of our bettors right now is the tea party movement. But rather than talking to them and trying to steer them away from neocon infiltrators... Like Ron Paul... You have allowed them to be manipulated. The economy has zero chance of improving until the wars end. Agreeing with them on the bankster bailouts and criticizing their embrace of military spending should be the order of the day. Instead progressives insult them and call them names. No wonder you never get anywhere
Tony Blair needs to make a rapid trip there and work his magic. Perhaps dazzle them with his new medal too.
It seems our government propaganda ministers have yet to invent a moniker to describe these ‘thousands of Afghanistan protestors’.
Perhaps we can help out our government in this time of need?
‘Doveganisters’?
Anyone?
"The protests were the Reuters television pictures showed protesters waving large white flags, the symbol used by Taliban supporters."
Um, does this sentence make any sense to you? This story comes from Reuters? And they proudly put their trademark on it? I hate to nitpick with ordinary folks - but a news agency? Or did commondreams edit this?
Dear Afghans:
Contrary to what you may have heard, the despicable Reverend Terry Jones did not burn any Korans on 9/11/10. In fact, it appears that the appeals of the countless sane Americans who have nothing against Islam and understand that all Muslims are not terrorists persuaded him to stop his desacration. So, by all means gather in the streets, but please do so to celebrate the blessed non-event and the fact that most Americans are not hate-filled wingnuts bent on your destruction. Celebrate the friendship of our peoples, regardless of the corrupt regimes that rule us. Because the more you engage in angry protests and call for our deaths, the longer our paranoid imperial rulers will occupy your land. The only way out of this is love and friendship on both sides.
Amen
Ah, but you forgot to mention that we allow those 'hate-filled wing-nuts' to run this country!
Clue #1: the 'paranoid imperial rulers' will occupy their land with or without 'angry protests' - but at least the rest of the world knows what Afghans think of invasion and occupation (even if desecration of their 'holy book' of superstitious claptrap is the given excuse this time).
Clue #2: 'love and friendship' are NOT reciprocal - you can 'love' a pet rock all you want, but it isn't going to respond likewise. The 'only way out' for Afghans is to do what they have always done: fight to the death and win by attrition.
"Tony Blair needs to make a rapid trip there and work his magic. Perhaps dazzle them with his new medal too."
...And his new fiction book!
"in my dreams, the anti-war movement is just as enthusiastic and numerous as the people that go crazy over NFL and College football."
...And just as crazy over Big Brother, and Survivor, and Hoarders, and top chef, and the Mall, and fast food, and Wal-Mart, and pesticides, and torture, and, and, and...
"The protests were the Reuters television pictures showed protesters waving large white flags, the symbol used by Taliban supporters."
...And the worm has turned, Multi-National corporate nations take no prisoners. At least not until the prisons are available and ready, which could be soon. The United States of Corporation can house them all. Cheaper, cheaper labor just over the horizon.
White Flag = Surrender? White Flag = The Taliban Flag/Supporters?
Too bad this Pepe Escobar item will not be read by millions, confined as it is to atimes.com: "'Dude, you have no Koran'"
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/LI15Ak03.html
His conclusion: "Cairo, Kabul, Kashmir, Peshawar should read into this that the vast majority of Americans won't be cowed by fear and hate no more, and won't succumb to a new, politically engineered, religious crusade. (Radical) maneuvers by free thinkers and righteous skateboard dudes are showing the way; no paramilitary Christian fascist resists being reduced to ridicule. Now if only Americans could redirect their outrage against the Pentagon drone war against Afghan civilians."
Dear
Afghan,
Buring Koran is one of your least ( non-exisitent) problem. Dont get diverted from real issue. Let Terry d
o what it wants to do with a book.Dont let Terry decide your fate.Dont allow a news organization to plant fake importance on a non-event.There is a reason you get this kind of news and there is a reason we get news of your reaction to a non-event.It is called emotional fog to befuddle human mind.
Jeez, it's just some old book.
When Muqtada al-Sadr burned thousands of Christian and Hebrew Bibles in a bonfire in Qom this March 20 to mark the anniversary of the March 20, 2003, illegal invasion of Iraq, Americans didn't get all upset and protest in the streets.
It was a non-story - Americans are more politically sophisticated than Afghanis. Yeah, some Iraqi guy is upset that 19 Christian and Jewish criminals started an illegal war that ruined his country, killed a million people and caused five million people to become refugees. We get it. He's upset.
But it's not like ALL Christians and Jews are war criminals, so we just overlooked this childish display of book burning.
Plus, March Madness had already started, so who has time for Iraq/Iran news ? Butler University winding up in the Finals this year ? No story about Iraqis in Iran calling for all Americans out of the Middle East and burning old holy books can compete with THAT - be realistic.
The author wrote: "the September 11th, 2001, hijacked airliner attacks on the US."
_________________*
If anyone has any EVIDENCE that airliners were actually highjacked on Sept. 11, 2001, please share with me. I saw the Windsor fire in London... the whole building was in flames for about 24 hours... no collapse. I saw other buildings engulfed in flames around the world, since and before Sept. 11... NOT ONE COLLAPSED!
Plus, I saw Silverstein ordering "pull it!"... and WTC 7 fell down on its footprint like magic.
ALL witnesses at the Trade Center that morning spoke of "explosions"... MANY "explosions" in the lower levels of the Trade Center.
Most of the so-called highjackers are alive... as reported by the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1559151.stm
I do not know what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, but here is what I know:
1) The US government is a habitual user of false-flag operations.
2) The government's story violates laws of physics and chemistry.
3) The government's cronies have benefited from the event.
4) The government rarely tells the truth.
5) There has never been an open, full-term trial where I can sit down and watch.
You go ahead and sheep along if you wanna. I'm waiting for proof.
BOMBING IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN ARE NOT PROOF TO ME.
Time to let Afghanistan return to its medieval fiefdoms. The Taliban would not even exist if not for the meddling of outside forces.