Kabul, Afghanistan – Demonstrators incensed at the burning of a Koran by a Florida pastor opened fire on a United Nations office Friday in northern Afghanistan, killing 12 people, including three foreign UN workers and five Nepalese UN guards, officials said.
Two of the foreign dead reportedly were beheaded, Reuters reported.
The other four dead were protesters, the Associated Press reported.
“We can confirm an attack on the UN mission in Afghanistan’s operations center in Mazar-i-Sharif, and can confirm that there have been deaths of UN personnel,” deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said at UN headquarters in New York. “The situation is still confusing and we are working to ascertain all the facts and take care of all our staff.”
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s special representative in Afghanistan, Staffan De Mistura, was “on his way to Mazar-i-Sharif now to deal with the situation personally on the ground,” AFP reported.
The rampage began when demonstrators marched in Mazar-i-Sharif and in the capital Kabul on Friday to protest the burning last month of Islam’s holy book by Florida pastors Terry Jones and Wayne Sapp. Jones reportedly put the Koran “trial,” then supervised Sapp as he burned the book.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the burning, and called on the U.S. to bring those responsible to justice.
Jones captured headlines last September when he threatened to burn the Koran on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. Jones canceled the burning after appeals from several world leaders, including President Obama.
Jones, meanwhile, issued a statement Friday, calling on President Obama to “take a close, realistic look at the radical element Islam… It is time that we call these people to accountability.”
Last month’s Koran burning also was blamed for an attack earlier this week on a Catholic church in Pakistan. Government officials said the attack was directly related to the Koran burning, but Msgr. Anthony Rufin, bishop of Islamabad, would not link the two incidents.
(Source: Fox News)
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11 Responses
The “religion of peace” is at it again.
Two guys in Florida burn a koran, so 12 non-Americans (and probably non-xtians) who had absolutely no connection to it, are slaughtered.
To the ‘religion of peace’ this makes perfect sense.
And these are the kind of people Obama expects us to sign treaties with, and give away land to.
Yeah, that would make about as much sense as this slaughter.
Donkey Moon wants the US to bring the Florida nuts to justice? That’s the way I understood that indirect quote. HE IS A NUT TOO!!
Wait, I thought the pastor had agreed not to do it? Didn’t get he get radio time in exchange, or am I thinking of the Westboro loonies?
Indeed the crazy pastor did back down, but the Westboro loonies filled in for him. They are a menace.
Imagine our reaction had they burned a sefer Torah.
“Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the burning, and called on the U.S. to bring those responsible to justice.”
Read before you name call, Mark.
Charlie, the reports I read said Terry Jones did the burning with the participation of the Westboro chevra.
Didn’t some car dealer give Jones a car as a bribe for not burning a Koran?
may both sides be successful
These guys are nuts looking for media attention — how about if the media just ignores them? (Then we won’t have these problems anyway, because none of the terrorists in Afghanistan would know it happened.) OK, I know that’s not realistic, but it would solve the problem. . .
Charlie — You make a very good point. Can you imagine Jews anywhere, even the most “right wing” reacting to news that Muslims in Afghanistan burned a Sefer Torah CV”S by walking into a random Mosque and opening fire? Even when reacting to savage murders of Jews just because they’re Jews, the Israeli government bends over backwards to avoid as much “collateral damage” as possible, despite dealing with those who believe it is OK to launch rockets from schools and hospitals, and use women and children as human shields.
Can someone help me out here? who burned a koran? when was it burned? and why was it not reported in the news?
“Imagine our reaction had they burned a sefer Torah.”
Charlie your comment disgusts me, the Jews would not have done this. In fact the Nazis burnt countless sefer torahs, and there was no reaction like this to it. Sometimes I think you really go over the edge with your comments, and make despicable comments like this. However, they are so ridiculous, that it exposes how naive your view of the world is. If you need me to elaborate you missed the point.
On a different note; this shows how there is no chance at stabilizing Afghanistan. The failed war of Bush and Obama’s idiotic surge are a disaster. It is time to bring our boys home.
Anyone who wants to continue this pointless war can take their M-16 and go fight in Afghanistan.
Eric, some nutjobs burned it in Florida, so the fanatics in Afghanistan beheaded and executed staff at the UN in Afghanistan. See the connection? If you do not I am with you!