First anti-US protest in Kabul

More than 400 Afghans protested outside the United Nations compound
in Kabul on July 4, according to the BBC. The demonstration was against
the July 1 US bombing raid in the country's south-west that slaughtered
at least 40 people, possibly more than 100. It was the first anti-US protest
in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban regime.

Half the demonstrators were women wearing traditional burqas. “We support
coalition measures against the Taliban and al Qaeda”, one told the BBC,
“but we cannot tolerate more innocent victims”.

Another said, “Afghans, who have had enough of war and bloodshed in
the past 23 years, will react seriously if it is repeated”. “We consider
the Americans our liberators, but after this, they may soon become occupiers”,
a grocer told Associated Press.

From Green Left Weekly, July 10, 2002.

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From GLW issue 499