You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Afghanistan
Militants Attack Afghan Prison With Car Bomb, Free Inmates
2008-06-13
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Militants attacked the city's main prison with a suicide car bombing and rockets late Friday, killing police and setting hundreds of prisoners free, Afghan officials said. "All the prisoners escaped. There is no one left," said Wali Karzai, president of Kandahar's provincial council and also the brother of President Hamid Karzai.

A car bomber blew up his vehicle at the prison's gates in the southern Afghan city, Justice Minister Sarwar Danish said. Danish said he did not have immediate details on how many prisoners might have escaped. But a prison official at the scene said most prisoners escaped.

The prison holds common criminals but also Taliban militants fighting NATO troops and the Afghan government.

Officials with NATO's International Security Assistance Force said they were aware of the attack but did not have any details yet.

Last month, some 200 Taliban suspects held at the Kandahar prison ended a weeklong hunger strike after a parliamentary delegation promised their cases would be reviewed. Lawmaker Habibullah Jan said some of the hunger strikers had been held without trial for more than two years. Others were given lengthy prison sentences after short trials. Jan said 47 of the prisoners had stitched their mouths shut during the hunger strike in May.

Kandahar — the Taliban's former stronghold and Afghanistan's second-largest city — has been the scene of fierce battles between NATO forces, primarily from Canada and the United States and Taliban fighters the last two years.
Posted by:Sherry

#3  Seriously, such a large group of jackasses shouldn't be that hard to find, right? Shoot anything that moves in the mountains.
Posted by: Thamble the Rash8664   2008-06-13 20:24  

#2  Karzai and the other Pashto tools will find some way to blame it on the coalition forces. Ima getting tired of Afghan incompetence while they bite the hand that feeds/protects them
Posted by: Frank G   2008-06-13 19:46  

#1  Jan said 47 of the prisoners had stitched their mouths shut during the hunger strike in May.

So they shouldn't be too hard to find. Look for the skinny guys with thread hanging outta their mouths.
Posted by: tu3031   2008-06-13 18:59  

00:00