KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Two protesters died and four were injured as Afghans protested for a third day Sunday against a plan by an American pastor to burn copies of the Islamic holy book, despite his decision to call off the action.
Mohammad Rahim Amin, chief of the Baraki Barak district in eastern Logar province, said the deaths and injuries occurred when Afghan soldiers opened fire on hundreds of protesters who were trying to storm the local government headquarters.
During recent protests against the Quran burning, Afghans have regularly targeted the pro-Western government.
Terry Jones, pastor of a small Florida church, said Saturday that “we feel that God is telling us to stop” the Quran burning, which was to coincide with the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.
The plan to burn the Quran stirred outrage among millions of Muslims and others worldwide.
The protesters in Logar chanted “Death to America” and burned tires, attacked several shops and set election campaign posters on fire, Amin said.
“I can say for sure that this was the work of the enemies of peace and stability in Afghanistan who are trying to use any opportunity to disrupt the security situation” in the country, Amin said.
In a country where most people have limited access to newspapers, television and the Internet, many Afghans seemed unaware of Jones’ decision to call off the Quran burning.
Meanwhile, a Taliban commander who planned rocket attacks on polling stations during elections next week and four other insurgents were killed in eastern Afghanistan, NATO said Sunday.
The military alliance said NATO and Afghan forces killed the five insurgents Saturday night in a village compound in the eastern Nangarhar province. The insurgents were killed after they “displayed hostile intent” as the forces moved in on the compound, it said in a statement.
It said intelligence reports indicated the Taliban commander was planning to conduct rocket attacks on voting centers during the Sept. 18 parliamentary elections. The Taliban has vowed to target polling stations and warned Afghans not to participate in what it called a sham vote.
The government and its Western allies hope the elections for the lower house of parliament will help consolidate the country’s fragile democracy, leading to the withdrawal of the roughly 140,000 NATO-led foreign troops in the country. But many Afghans and foreign observers fear the vote could turn bloody if the Taliban carries out its threats.
“The Afghan people deserve to cast their votes without fear of attacks from the insurgent groups,” U.S. Army Col. Rafael Torres said in the NATO statement. “We are tracking them and taking action before they’re able to carry out their plans.”
NATO said the killed Taliban commander had participated in “intimidation campaigns and assassinations” and was directly linked to a February suicide bomb attack that killed Haji Zaman, a well-known tribal elder and warlord in eastern Afghanistan.
___
Associated Press Writer Rahim Faiez contributed to this report.
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Comments (55)
traderdan
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 11:26pmIt seems for them, American’s can neither be as conforming or dead enough for them. They just won‘t be satisfied they’ll just keep killing, if not us then somebody else or amongst themselves.
Report Post »CaptainSpaulding
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 10:53pm…how many more stories are we going to get about Muslims burning, beating, threatening, whipping and terrorizing are we going to get before we stop calling Islam “The Religion of Peace”?
Report Post »Put_God_ First
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 8:34pmHas anyone noticed that DANGLINGBAGS is always posting on this website, no matter what time of day.
He must be unemployed to have so much time to post
.
Maybe he is employed just to agitated and harassing people that read the blaze. I do see that most of his post are just cut and paste from the democrats propaganda pages. nothing new.
I find it so amusing that anyone would be so dumb as to believe is that democrats propaganda crap.
It may be the first job he has had in 5 years.
There isn’t many jobs open for someone like him.
What do you think?
Report Post »Is DANGLINGBAGS just a stooge for the democrats?….
moelarrycurly
Posted on September 13, 2010 at 5:39pmI can imagine a room full of his ilk typing away, paid in government cheese and foodstamps to slow the rising dissent for his messiah. but what would you call such an organization???? move on .org? i think its been apparent to most of us that he doesn‘t have an original thought in his head and his ’passion‘ is more about who he’s speaking to vs what he believes in. He is an idiot and as one poster said ‘Don’t feed the troll’.
Report Post »DanniDee
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 8:19pmWith Obama in our White House, our troops should come home and fight the devil within. We cannot have our guys fighting Obama’s wars overseas, too risky. Come home, guys, we need your presence on American soil.
Report Post »ncd22124
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 7:18pmStay on the high road. This is not something to celebrate.
Report Post »wingedwolf
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 7:37pmForgive me in advance, but where’s your sense of humor? I can‘t say I’m celebrating, but I also can’t stop giggling because these silly officious little schoolyard bully freaks got so pissed off at the mere announcement that quorans would be burned that they started running around killing each other. I guess that really showed us, right? Exactly what were they trying to prove? Burn our quoran and we will KILL each other! Meanwhile, they stomp on and burn the American flag and urinate on Bibles……I‘m not feelin’ da luv…! I can’t celebrate the death of any living creature, but this is just too rich to leave alone.
Report Post »BlackCrow
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 7:18pmAn American THREATENS to burn a Koran and they kill THEMSELVES?
Pass the lighter fluid.
Report Post »A Patriot
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 7:18pmAh more from the religion of peace. They burn our flag, our Bibles, effigies of our freedom, and the corpses of our troops in the name of islam. I wish the American people would wake up like they did on 9-12-01.
We need a revival of God’s people in this land to restore our dignity. Christians in America should join together for 40 days of prayer starting September 20 through October 30, 2010, Pray for God the Father of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to restore America’s foundation. We cannot continue to let the liberal left hijack the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. American was founded on a belief in God. We are a Christain Nation and if you don’t like it you are still free to leave.
Your freedom was purchased with the blood of patriots.
Report Post »jcatlanta
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 7:17pmLets bring the boys home with honor and parades and then place them on the northern and southern borders. I don‘t think we’d have any more problems with the drug cartels or the coyotes smuggling illegals across the border. The drug lords might try once or twice but I just don‘t think it’ll work out too well for them. Enforce the laws on employers hiring illegals and then lets find a way for more people to LEGALLY immigrate. I really don’t have a problem with anyone coming to America as long as they do it per the rules. Thsi really woundn’t be that hard to solve if the government was really trying to solve it.
Report Post »jcatlanta
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 7:10pmWe definitely needed to go in there originally, but at this point I feel if they want the tyranny of the taliban, then they can have them. We should bring our boys home with honor and give them parades. If thew animals over there try to attack again, then we go in and strike twice as hard just like Israel. Any compromise on our part is perceived as weakness by the muslims. Why did the Iranians give back the hostages right before Reagan took office. The answer is they KNEW he would have turned Iran into a glass factory if they were not released. We need to go back to that state of mind. We need to bring our tropops back from all over the world and just get involved when we are attacked or they try to attack. I think thats more in line with the founding fathers; not nation building. They want the harsh overlords, so lets let them have it (but be ready to fight again if they try something).
Report Post »DanniDee
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 7:03pmWhy so much fuss over the Koran? If I ever get my hands on one of those devil books I will gladly dispose of it, any way I can. We should NEVER condone the devil’s work, and Obammie that goes for you too!.
Report Post »Jack007
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 7:01pmVietnam is a good example of what happens when you are ordered to say May I before you blow the bastards up (55k dead Americans killed and we lost that War). Ether we fight to win no holds barred or we bring our boys home.
Report Post »JJ Coolay
Posted on September 13, 2010 at 7:28amRoger that
Report Post »TwoMinuteMan
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 6:45pmFor those that are unaware the Province in question is still under the control of the Taliban. The enemy of democracy that Obama has failed to oust from the country. This must be the penalty for early withdrawl.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129317646
As early as last August they were still killing americans. They will take any oportunity to riot against America or The current Afgan government.
Send the troops back in as far as I’m concerned. NATO wont do what needs to be done.
Report Post »GraceSullivan
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 7:04pmYou are sooo right! The rules of engagement needs to be lifted from our troops and not one of our troops should be tried for murder when they are in fear of their lives and fire back. We are not, NOT getting the full reports on what is going on over there.
Report Post »*And thank you Joseph for offering prayers for my husband, he made it back safe in March but with some problems with PTSD. Keep praying for the others over there.
JJ Coolay
Posted on September 13, 2010 at 7:27amYeah, why play by the rules when the other side doesnt?
Oh yeah… we’re supposed to be better. We’re supposed to take the high road.
Report Post »Sure—let our guys get killed because of the frikkin high road.
YesNdeedie
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 6:41pmYou think if we all made a statement that we planned to burn one koran each November 2, 2010, they would kill each other and our troops could come home? I man’s statement equals two dead 4 hurt. I’d say that was a pretty good return on a statement.
Report Post »Jack007
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 6:48pmJust imagine the return on burning a thousand books of Hate!
Report Post »YesNdeedie
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 6:38pmThey riot and kill because of a thought and not an action? What morons.
Report Post »w4jle
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 6:43pmAgreed! I would never burn a holy book of any religion out of respect, however if the threat gets these folks killing each other I am all for the threats!
Report Post »DanniDee
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 6:33pmTo burn a Koran is to burn a book from the devil’s library.
Report Post »DanniDee
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 6:31pmWe should bring our forces home to protect us from the enemy within! And we should send all Muslims In America back to where they came from! I’m SICK of Muslims and their devil book the Koran, their houses of devil worship and their prays to the devil.
Report Post »Jack007
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 6:45pmI second that emotion!
Report Post »w4jle
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 6:28pmIf I understand it, a group of 50 folks threatening to burn a Koran got two terrorists killed…
Report Post »That’s a ratio of 25 to 1, so if we all threatened to burn a Koran they would annihilate themselves in protest. I don’t see any downside to the plan. I am now threatening to burn a Koran!
wingedwolf
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 7:22pmYou spoke the words I was thinking! Only you really put the math into play, so if each of us get 10 friends to burn a quoran, or at least ANNOUNCE that they will burn a quoran, we should get this war over with sometime next week! LOL and thanx for laughs!
Report Post »moelarrycurly
Posted on September 13, 2010 at 9:49amLets roll !!!
Report Post »GraceSullivan
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 5:30pmLogar Providence is filled with violent muslims, who constantly send missles into one of the fob bases there. My husband was there, and they were constantly under attack. They are just using the burn the koran day for violence in name only. This is normal and is not any more violent that any other day.
Report Post »Joseph
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 5:38pmSorry your husbans in that place,make me think if it‘s worth it he’s there…I’ll pray for him and his and buddies safety…
Report Post »Venom
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 9:48pmHoohah, thanks to you and your husband, despite all this crap thats going on, they are helping a lot of people.
Report Post »broker0101
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 5:19pmGood thing pastor Jones didn’t provoke these animals. It could have become violent.
Report Post »Okpulot Taha
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 5:05pmAn AP “Allah Press” article is cited by Scott Baker, “Taliban commander was planning to conduct rocket attacks on voting centers during the Sept. 18 parliamentary elections.”
I am surprised Barack Obama and Eric Holder did not jump up and pronounce those boys innocent. Both Obama and Holder strongly support voter intimidation evidenced by their comical Black Panther case.
Okpulot Taha
Report Post »Choctaw Nation
Joseph
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 5:35pmWell…Because Theives and Robbers, never steal from theives and Robbers… I think the Black Panthers should rename themselves to “Polly” then they can show their true spirit and retoric on and on, and on, like a broken record. Their motto can be none else than, “Polly Wants a *******”
And as for the babies in the middle East, “ Ali Baby Baba and the Fourty Heaves” Just keep that towle on your sholder…
Report Post »Okpulot Taha
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 5:52pmJOSEPH writes truth, “Their motto can be none else than, ‘Polly Wants a *******’”
Yes, sir, entitlement welfare is dragging us down. America simply cannot afford to continue supporting lazy welfare loafers often guided by a community organizer.
Reminds of two women at an Obama rally who appeared on local news during the Obama election campaign. One says, “Obama is gonna buy me a house!” Other says, “He will keep my gas tank full!”
When those two bright women are asked, “Where will Obama get the money?” Both are absolutely clueless. One says, “I dunno, I just know Obama is gonna buy me a house!”
There you go, stereotypical entitlement thinking.
Same is going on over in Afghanistan. Reports are tens of billions of American taxpayer dollars are being literally hauled out of Afghanistan in trucks. Tens of billions our of taxpayer dollars are being given directly to the Taliban.
We simply cannot afford to continue supporting welfare loafers here at home, nor overseas. This left liberal entitlement policy must be stopped.
Okpulot Taha
Report Post »Choctaw Nation
Freelancer
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 6:23pmI have this video saved on YouTube. When I m confronted by a liberal who says that we need the entitlement programs, I send them the video to look at and tell them that THIS is what has been created as a result of those relished handouts that can never be touched.
Report Post »Debrabate
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 9:38pmMy favorite saying from that time is and always will be:
I want some Obama money!
Report Post »moelarrycurly
Posted on September 13, 2010 at 9:34amI think your 100% right. It also smacks of the press trying to ‘create the story’. I believe we are a tolerant, peace loving nation. But it may come down to a war on our own soil-And I think thats just what these nut-job muslims want.
Report Post »smartypoop
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 5:03pmSee, they got their way, America backed down, ignored the same Constitutional freedoms that they want afforded to them, condemed her own citizens and they were still violent, murderous, nutjobs.
Report Post »What does that tell you?
FreeTheAmericans
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 5:59pmThat America just isn’t appeasing enough to be convincing? Or… I suppose it’s possible that these islamists sense American fear of them and want to exploit… naw, the ‘religion of peace’ would never exploit fear. More appeasement is needed.
Report Post »Freelancer
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 4:44pmSure males a ton of sense for such a peaceful religion…. Burn local shops and kill you own people for no reason other than you are pissed at Americans. It sure seems that they will use ANY reason to kill doesn’t it?
Report Post »redneck
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 4:40pmThanks to Rev Jones actions, Islam wackos under surveillance got all excited and started thinking outside of the box! Gotcha. SMASH BOOM BANG!
Report Post »redneck
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 4:57pmThat’s what they get for not sticking to the plan. Can’t trust anyone these days. Bunch a morans.
Report Post »wingedwolf
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 7:38pmclick click boom!
Report Post »Tennessee Veteran
Posted on September 14, 2010 at 10:40amAnd these are the normal, tolerant, peace loving Muslims not the radicals? Isn’t there some Islamic law against Muslims killing Muslims? Nobody actually burned a Quran and look how nutty these practitioners of the religion of peace, love and tolerance became. It just goes to prove that there is no such thing as a moderate Muslim!
Report Post »CherryBomb
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 4:30pmPsst. It’s over, geniuses, but keep on ‘protesting’….it saves bullets.
Report Post »Debrabate
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 5:36pmLOL I was just thinking that! If they kill themselves off over a cancelled event, they are doing our jobs for us!
Report Post »Nana Banana
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 4:28pmOne had nuttin to do w/theother.
Report Post »duncan
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 5:44pmA dead Muslim is a dead Muslim and in this case 2 dead Muslims. Yaaaaaahuuuuuuu
Report Post »wingedwolf
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 7:27pmI can’t stop giggling at the fact that they got so pissed off that some Americans are going to burn some quorans, they start running around killing each other! Boy, I guess they showed us a thing or two! Sort of like a circular firing squad. So, here’s the plan…each of us get 10 friends to announce that we will burn quorans, and if W4JLE’s math is correct, we could get the war over with in some quickness! I really can’t stop giggling, forgive me….!
Report Post »Venom
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 9:27pmThey didnt kill each other stupid, they tried to storm a government headquarters and Afghan troops shot them. People like you and the douche bag that said “yahoooooo” to a dead Afghani is disrespectful. As crazy as they are they are people too. Someones son or daughter….grow the hell up
Report Post »JJ Coolay
Posted on September 13, 2010 at 7:18amChill out venom, they’re obviously Darwin Award winners
Report Post »