Actually, this means that a group of students protesting their local government in Afghanistan is running the American Media and the White House.
No one in the adminstration or the Pentagon said squat about this small story that had been heard before until the protestors mentioned it.
While the White House liars keep yelling at the spineless corporate media. Heck, it's a whole lot easier (and much safer) to yell at Newsweek than it is to FIX AFGHANISTAN and IRAQ before they both spin completely out of control.
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In Afghanistan, protests signal U.S. may be wearing out its welcome
BY KIM BARKER
Chicago Tribune
KABUL, Afghanistan - (KRT) - Abdul Saboor is a small, quiet man with the wispy mustache of a teenager. He wears a tan V-neck sweater and clutches his geology books tightly to his chest. But last week, the Kabul University engineering student joined anti-U.S. protests and dreamed of "doing whatever I could to an American."
He was one of hundreds who marched through the streets here after hearing reports that a U.S. investigation had confirmed desecration of the Koran by interrogators in the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Newsweek magazine has since retracted the story, but this matters little to Afghans such as Saboor. They do not believe any retraction and they want the U.S. government to apologize. Some want more.
"We don't need the Americans," Saboor said. "They should get out."
Such a sentiment is rarely expressed in Afghanistan, where many still welcome U.S. troops and even wear the U.S. flag on baseball caps. In the 3 1/2 years since the fall of the Taliban, there had never even been a major anti-U.S. demonstration in Afghanistan - until last week.
For five days, demonstrations spread from one Afghan city to another, fueled by students such as Saboor and by clerics. Protests started in the eastern city of Jalalabad and then spread across the country, even to the relatively peaceful north. At least 15 people were killed in clashes.
By Saturday, the protests had spread to Pakistan and elsewhere, and governments across the Islamic world were demanding an investigation at Guantanamo.
In the calm of this week, Afghans are reflecting on what led to the protests. Many believe that people were only reacting to reports about the defamation of the Koran. Others believe people frustrated with the lack of progress in Afghanistan were willing to protest for any reason. And still others believe outside forces were at work, manipulating the emotions of Afghans to destabilize the government.
"There are some people, both insiders and outsiders, who were involved," explained Chief Justice Fazil Hadi Shinwari, also an Islamic scholar. "We are a poor country. We don't know exactly who they are."
For some Afghans, the extent of the protests was shocking. After 23 years of war and 3 1/2 years of relative peace, they worried that any violence could lead to more instability.
"I was really afraid, and I was really surprised," said Sayed Mohammad, 34, who sells T-shirts at a street stand in downtown Kabul. "I thought misery would again come to Afghanistan."
Newsweek's retraction did little to quell anger. Many Afghans said they believe the magazine was pressured to pull its report by the U.S. government and do not doubt the authenticity of the story: that interrogators in Guantanamo Bay tried to demoralize detainees by placing Islam's holiest book on toliets and even trying to flush one of them.
"I'm sure they have done this," said Mohammad Moqim Badakhsh, 23, a literature student who joined demonstrations. "I'm sure they have put our Holy Koran in the toilet."
The Koran, which Muslims consider the word of God, is not supposed to touch the floor and is often kissed when opened. In several Islamic countries, including Afghanistan, desecration of the Koran is punishable by death.
Afghans say they believe the toilet allegation is true because it fits into a pattern of other abuses, such as the deaths of detainees in Afghanistan and the humiliation of Iraqis in Abu Ghraib prison.
Younas Haleem, 25, an engineering student at Kabul University, said he had talked to some former Guantanamo detainees who complained about abuse of the Koran.
"The most important thing for us is our religion," said Haleem, who said he joined the Kabul demonstration last Thursday. "More than ourselves, more than our lives."
Sayed Mohammad, 25, an agriculture student at Kabul University, said he was so upset about the alleged mistreatment of the Koran that he could not eat breakfast or study.
Some Afghans now wonder whether the protests could be the tipping point in relations with the United States. After 3 1/2 years, the U.S. government has not yet worn out its welcome. But the welcome mat is starting to show its age.
"They should have done more than they have in the past three years," said Sohrab, 25, a Kabul University journalism student who like many Afghans uses only one name. "They are now trying to put their foot in the door. They're creating a way to stay forever."
Last week, Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Carl Eichenberry, believed the rioting was not linked to the Newsweek article but was "more tied up in the political process" in Afghanistan.
On Monday, Col. Gary Cheek, commander of U.S. forces in eastern Afghanistan, said at a news conference that much of the violence did not specifically target the United States. He said that winning the trust of the Afghan people is essential and that troops would "redouble our efforts to communicate with the Afghan people and let them know that we are here for their security and we are here to help rebuild their country."
Many Afghans still support the U.S. troops. Several men who protested last week said they believed the U.S. presence is necessary for the country's security. "Up until the time they are needed, they should stay," said Ahmad Jawed, 19, a literature student. "But then they should go." |
