Kabul Riots

Bill Roggio reports from Afghanistan. The rioting that occurred there after an accident involving a military truck in which civilians were killed may not be quite what the US media reported.

The rioting occurred one of the more socially liberal and less secure neighborhoods in the city. The neighborhood includes Western expatriots, Non-Government Organizations, numerous businesses, restaurants, bars (yes, they exist in Afghanistan) and even a brothel. The Afghan Attorney General resides in the neighborhood. Rioters attacked several Afghan businesses and restaurants, and looted and torched the NGOs CARE Afghanistan and ACTED. The brothel was also set ablaze, and the owner died later that day of a heart attack.

The violence was not Taliban-inspired, but composed mainly of Hazaris. The Haziris are an ethnic group that fought the Taliban under the banner of the Northern Alliance and followers of Ahmad Shah Masood , who was killed by al-Qaeda two days prior to 9-11. Masood's image is prevalent in Kabul. The Hazaris have recently been marginalized by the Karzai administration after they lost their last cabinet post. The rioters were largely young, unemployed males, and there was a significant criminal element involved.

Roggio talked to people who believe the rioting was actually planned in advance and just needed a spark which the accident provided. At least part of what we are seeing in the media these days are events which are specifically being orchestrated for the media. We really have to keep that in mind when we're reading reports on"spontaneous" demonstrations.