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Thousands of Afghans continue to voice anger over Koran burning
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E-mail CNTV, February 25, 2012
Thousands of Afghans are continuing to voice their anger over the burning of copies of the Koran -- the holy Islamic text -- at an American-run military base. CCTV correspondent Courtney Body reports from Kabul.
After Afghan workers found burned copies of the Quran near a rubbish pit on the US-run Bagram base Monday night, the country awoke Tuesday to turmoil, as over 2000 protesters rallied outside the largest airfield here. For the Americans, the act was like striking a match near gasoline, and as the violence spreads across the country for a third day, protests in Afghanistan have taken a deathly toll.
Throwing rocks, chanting "down with America," "death to America", and calling on Afghan President Hamid Karzai to step down himself, protestors also turned up on the outskirts of Kabul and directed their anger at a US military base and large foreigner compound, with shots fired towards the protestors as things went out of control.
NATO Commander General Jogn Allen said, "These are isolated incidents, they are not about who we are, we stand for more than that, and we will continue to stand by Afghans in the future."
Wednesday also saw protests spread across the nation, as other cities reacted to the desecration of Islam's holy book. President Karzai also condemned the act. And Afghan's continued to call for the foreigners to leave.
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| Afghan people throws stone at a police car as people protest against the alleged Quran burning by U.S. troops in Herat, west Afghanistan, on Feb. 24, 2012. At least 15 people including two U.S. soldiers have been killed and over 50 others injured since violent protests began Tuesday and swept across the country. [Xinhua/Sardar] |
![Afghan people throws stone at a police car as people protest against the alleged Quran burning by U.S. troops in Herat, west Afghanistan, on Feb. 24, 2012. At least 15 people including two U.S. soldiers have been killed and over 50 others injured since violent protests began Tuesday and swept across the country. [Xinhua/Sardar]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20120225/00114320def110b2d1b214.jpg "Afghan people throws stone at a police car as people protest against the alleged Quran burning by U.S. troops in Herat, west Afghanistan, on Feb. 24, 2012. At least 15 people including two U.S. soldiers have been killed and over 50 others injured since violent protests began Tuesday and swept across the country. [Xinhua/Sardar]")
Protester Mehrabam said, "If they're not bringing peace, why are they here? They should leave. If they they want to insult and do things against our religion, we don't want their help."
But as Thursday came, the morning quiet soon was disrupted as Karzai's late appeal for calm was ignored and the Taliban issued a statement in an effort to capitalize on the anger and called on Afghans to attack foreign military bases and convoys. Fresh protests swept across the country with continued anger. With the anti-American chants continuing and effigies of US President Obama burned, and Within hours the day turned deadly for the Americans as a man in an Afghan army uniform shot and killed 2 US soldiers in on a joint US-Afghan base in Eastern Nangahar province.
With the situation seemingly burning out of control, late Thursday Obama himself wrote a letter to Karzai, apologizing and promising to "hold accountable those responsible".
