| Afghan army patrols Kabul amid anger with US troops Reuters
05/30/2006
By Simon Cameron-Moore
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KABUL - Afghan troops patrolled the streets of Kabul and the capital was put under curfew for a second night on Tuesday after at least seven people were killed in the worst anti-U.S. riots since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. While the heavy security presence restored order on the streets, anger burned inside many Afghans over the behavior of U.S. troops when a fatal road accident involving a U.S. army truck sparked unrest in many parts of the city. "They worry about their own safety. They only care about themselves," said Abdul Karim, a 28-year-old resident of the city, who nevertheless blamed criminals for turning protests into riots in order to go on a crime spree. There is widespread disillusion among people that billions of dollars in aid from the international community have failed to substantially improve living standards in Afghanistan. At the same time, the Taliban insurgency in the south and east is going through its bloodiest phase, with more than 350 people killed, including civilians, in the last few weeks alone. NATO's top general in Europe said the alliance-led peacekeeping force in Afghanistan was big enough for now to handle the threats it faces. "From my standpoint, the mission as it is currently sourced is adequate," General James Jones told a meeting of NATO's parliamentary assembly in Paris. NATO last month backed a plan to increase foreign troop numbers in Afghanistan to around 32,500 by August, the highest level since U.S.-led forces overthrew the Taliban. Monday's unrest was triggered by a U.S. soldier who lost control of his truck and smashed into a dozen vehicles, killing at least five Afghans. Furious residents stoned the convoy the truck was traveling in, prompting at least one of the U.S. vehicles to fire warning shots in the air, according to the U.S. military. The situation deteriorated further when police opened fire to help the convoy. "It was all the Americans' fault," said Tahir Murad, 50, who witnessed the accident and its aftermath. "This kind of incident makes people feel more against the Americans." Police Chief Jamil Junbish said seven people, including one police officer, were killed and 138 injured in the disturbances. A health ministry official had earlier said eight people died. The Interior Ministry said 140 people were arrested. Junbish also announced that a night-time curfew would remain in place in Kabul for "a short time." U.S. Ambassador Ronald Neumann issued a statement regretting the loss of life and blaming the crash on brake failure. On Tuesday there were two Afghan army tanks on the road leading to Kabul's center from the site of the incident on the northern outskirts. "It is peaceful, there is no violence," said Mohammad Shafiq Fazli, Kabul's deputy police chief. FORCES DEPLOYED Heavily armed soldiers and armored personnel carriers were stationed at key crossroads, and police were deployed at Kabul University, heading off a student protest that fizzled out. By mid-morning, the city was bustling with people, and cars jammed the roads as usual, though residents had initially appeared cautious about venturing out. NATO peacekeepers coordinated closely with the Afghan authorities, but they were less evident in the city. "We are patrolling, but we are adopting a lower profile at the request of the government," said Major Luke Knittig, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force. During Monday's riots, a detachment of British Royal Marines went in to evacuate 21 European Union diplomats and staff -- including a baby and a four-year-old child -- as mobs swept through the area close to their compound. Protesters vilified the United States, marching through the streets of the city to the gates of the National Assembly and U.S. embassy, but President Hamid Karzai was also criticized. Karzai won an election in 2004, but has been unable to shake off the perception that he owes his position to U.S. support. Seen as a force for peace and stability and a guarantor of Western financial support for the reconstruction of the economy, Karzai is going through a difficult time. Karzai's critics call him the "mayor of Kabul," because of instability in the rural provinces, but Monday's unrest showed the fragility of the situation in the capital, where people are frustrated by a lack of improvement in their daily lives. (Additional reporting by Sayed Salahuddin)
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