Cartoon Protesters Direct Anger at U.S.

[ECH1969]

Police killed four people Wednesday as Afghans enraged over drawings of the Prophet Muhammad marched on a U.S. military base in a volatile southern province, directing their anger not against Europe but America.

The U.S. base was targeted because the United States "is the leader of Europe and the leading infidel in the world," said Sher Mohammed, a 40-year-old farmer who suffered a gunshot wound while taking part in the demonstration in the city of Qalat. "They are all the enemy of Islam.

Wednesday's violence began when hundreds of protesters tried to storm the U.S. base, said Ghulam Nabi Malakhail, a provincial police chief. When warning shots failed to deter them, police shot into the crowd, killing four and wounding 11, he said. Flying rocks injured eight police and one Afghan soldier, he said.

In Baghdad, Iraq's top Shiite political leader criticized attacks on foreign embassies by Muslims. "We value and appreciate peaceful Islamic protests," said Abdul Aziz al-Hakim. "But we are against the idea of attacking embassies and other official sites."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060209/ap_on_re_mi_ea/prophet_drawings

[951-Riverside]

1. We've killed thosands of innocent muslims over lies...

yet a few cartoons get published and people in that part of the world goes mad, I wonder who is REALLY behind this madness.

[ECH1969]

2. The muslim world is quite used to war and violence

What they aren't used to is anyone attacking their religion. That is why there were several deadly protests across the Arab world last year after the Koran flushing report.

The West just doesn't have the same mindset as the muslim world.

[krkaufman]

3. Hmmm... Interesting point

The lack of an open media in their home countries may be a factor. A controlled perspective appears to have kept a simple fact from their ken: there are a$$holes everywhere, of every color, creed and nation. One paper or one article does not speak for all non-Muslim peoples.

[Raine]

4. Interesting point

if they had taken on about the Iraqi War and the innocents killed the way they are over cartoons maybe they could possibly have driven the US out.

All this upheaval seems to play into chimp's hands, gets some of the scandals off the front pages and makes people here scared of the religious fanaticism.

[EFerrari]

5. I was waiting for this headline. Like clockwork.

Thank you, Authorized Propaganda.

[Behind the Aegis]

6. And?

:shrug:

[rodeodance]

8. of course it would spead to the US--we are symbolic of the "WEST"-I

do not think it is propaganda.

[EFerrari]

9. I do because the timing is just to perfect for Condi Rice's

little campaign.

I agree that there is hatred of the West and of the US in particular.

We've earned all of it.

But, as soon as I heard Rice say Syria and Iran, I knew that they are catapulting the propaganda. So, these stories will be searched out and highlighted. And no matter where the incidents occur, they will culumatively help convince this country that we need to do exactly what BushCo wants. :(

[rodeodance]

7. so, the US is "is the leader of Europe"? maybe.