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Fresh violence hits Afghan jail
 Violence has flared again at Afghanistan's main jail, ending a brief period of calm after two days of rioting which killed four inmates.
| Dead inmates? Oh, my heart bleeds!... No. Wait. Brussels sprouts again. Never mind. |
Police have blamed the deaths on al-Qaida and Taliban inmates held at the grim 1970s-era Pul-e-Charkhi jail on the outskirts of Kabul.
| Have you considered artillery? |
On Tuesday gunfire was again heard from inside the prison as officials said some of the 1300 prisoners were once more smashing windows and beds as they had done when the first revolt erupted last Saturday. Authorities had been hopeful that earlier talks would end the standoff and had been preparing to move the prisoners to new facilities after their own were damaged in the rioting.
| Why move them after they've fouled their nests? Why not leave them there to enjoy it? |
"It seems that they don't respect what they had agreed during negotiations," Mohammad Qasim Hashimzai, Deputy Justice Minister, told AFP. "They've started to break windows and beds and even walls."
| They don't respect their agreements? Wow. That's never happened before, has it? |
He said it appeared some inmates were receiving orders from outside the jail through their mobile phones. Authorities were trying their best to calm the situation, he said as extra police arrived and a spy drone flew overhead. A prisoner who asked not to be named told AFP by mobile phone that police opened fire late on Tuesday after inmates refused to move to another building.
| Sounds good. Lots of casualties, I hope? |
The man, who said he was being held on criminal charges, said Taliban and al-Qaida prisoners started the revolt and other inmates joined them. "We're together now and resisting together," the prisoner said. "Unless our demands are met we will not surrender to police."
| If Dostum was in charge he'd be giving them the old "surrender or die" choice. If he gave them a choice... |
He added: "The police tried to enter the block but were forced out. We've blocked the gates and windows with beds, chairs and desks."
Posted by: Fred 2006-03-01 |
