Afghans riot near U.S. embassy after deadly crash

[Enrique]

Source: MSNBC

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38485760/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

KABUL, Afghanistan — Police fired weapons into the air Friday to disperse a crowd of angry Afghans who shouted "Death to America" after an SUV was involved in a traffic accident that killed four Afghans, an official said.

Protesters hurled stones and set fire to two vehicles after the crash on the main airport road, according to the capital's criminal investigations chief, Abdul Ghaafar Sayedzada.

SUVs are often associated with foreigners, but it remained unclear who caused the accident because the occupants fled the scene. However, a NATO official told AFP the vehicles involved in the crash belonged to the U.S. Embassy.

AFP reported that a NATO quick-reaction force was sent to the area, which is not far from the U.S. Embassy.

"The civilian vehicle was trying to get into the main road when the two foreign vehicles hit it and killed all four occupants," local resident Saleh Ahmed told AFP. "People gathered around the crash site to see what had happened, got angry and started attacking the foreigners."

(...)

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38485760/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

[ixion]

1. but but but, the Afghanis love us and want us to occupy them...

or so I've been told. :sarcasm:

[Plucketeer]

2. That's Right!

They simply can't get enough of having whole families blown away by some drone driver in Nevada!

[sabra]

3. shades of Iraq

:-(

[Roy Rolling]

4. Fleeing the scene of the accident

...doesn't that describe how W handled Afghanistan all along?

[Snazzy]

5. But MSNBC dare not name the contractors--DYNCORP

...

In the capital, Kabul, police fired weapons into the air Friday to disperse a crowd of angry Afghans who shouted "Death to America!", hurled stones and set fire to two vehicles after an SUV, driven by U.S. contract employees, was involved in a traffic accident that killed four Afghans, according to the capital's criminal investigations chief, Abdul Ghaafar Sayedzada.

The contractor, DynCorp International, confirmed that its employees, working on a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, were involved in an accident on the main road to the Kabul airport. In a statement, DynCorp said that when its employees got out of their vehicle, they and other DynCorp employees, who arrived at the scene to help, were attacked by the crowd, which burned their vehicles.

"Our condolences go out to the families of those who were killed or injured," DynCorp said. "An investigation is under way."

People at the scene claimed foreigners fired shots, killing and wounding Afghan civilians. DynCorp said the contractors fired no shots and that Afghan police helped move the contractors to safety away from the crowd. Hospital officials said the deaths and injuries were caused by the traffic accident.

Ahmad Jawid, who also was at the scene, asked: "Are we not Muslims? Are we not from Afghanistan? Infidels are here and they are ruling us. Why?"

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AFGHANISTAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-07-30-17-30-55