Anti-U.S. protests rock Srinagar

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, OCT. 8. Anti-U.S. and pro-Afghanistan protests took place here today and police fired in the air and burst dozens of teargas shells to disperse the demonstrators. About 25 persons, including policemen, were injured in clashes.

Several groups of youth took to the streets raising slogans against the U.S. and burnt the U.S. flag. The protesters threw stones on police and pitched battles took place in Maisuma, Jamia Masjid, Nowhatta, Rajouri Kadal, Bahori Kadal and Nalla Mar Road areas. Shopkeepers downed their shutters. Police carried out a lathicharge and burst teargas shells. But as stone throwing increased, they opened fire at several places.

The biggest demonstration was witnessed in the Kashmir University, where more than 600 students took out a procession. Police dispersed the processionists and one student was seriously injured. However, normal life in Srinagar was not disturbed.

Geelani, Asiya condemn attacks

The former Hurriyat Conference chairman and Jamat-e- Islami leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, condemned the U.S. attacks. He said that ``If the September 11 attacks in Washington and New York were terrorist acts, the overnight airstrikes by the U.S. and the U.K. were also acts of terrorism''. He said that the U.S. should have provided evidence against Osama bin Laden to the Taliban and Osama should have been given a chance to plead his ``innocence.'' He appealed to the U.S. ``do not answer terror by terror''.

The hardline Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief, Ms. Asiya Andrabi, has appealed to the Muslim world to unite against the forces who had united against Islam and the jehadis. ``There is need to weed out this infidel terrorism'' she said adding that ``if the Taliban Government is dislodged, it will be the worst enslaving of present era Muslims''.

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