2011 Mazar-i-Sharif attack: Difference between revisions
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*{{flagicon|UN}} United Nations Secretary-General [[Ban Ki-Moon]] said that the incident was "an outrageous and cowardly attack against UN staff, which cannot be justified under any circumstances and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37967&Cr=Afghan&Cr1= | title=UN condemns deadly attack against staff in northern Afghan city | accessdate=1 April 2011 | date=1 April 2011 | publisher=UN News Centre | archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5xd8CwQXk | archivedate=1 April 2011}}</ref> |
*{{flagicon|UN}} United Nations Secretary-General [[Ban Ki-Moon]] said that the incident was "an outrageous and cowardly attack against UN staff, which cannot be justified under any circumstances and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37967&Cr=Afghan&Cr1= | title=UN condemns deadly attack against staff in northern Afghan city | accessdate=1 April 2011 | date=1 April 2011 | publisher=UN News Centre | archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5xd8CwQXk | archivedate=1 April 2011}}</ref> |
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*{{flagicon|US}} United States President [[Barack Obama]] said in a statement that "I condemn in the strongest possible terms the attack on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan [...] I offer my deepest condolences to those injured and killed."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/04/01/statement-president-following-attack-unama | title=Statement by the President Following the Attack on UNAMA | accessdate=1 April 2011 | date=1 April 2011 | publisher=The White House | archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5xd8RcFLD | archivedate=1 April 2011}}</ref> |
*{{flagicon|US}} United States President [[Barack Obama]] said in a statement that "I condemn in the strongest possible terms the attack on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan [...] I offer my deepest condolences to those injured and killed."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/04/01/statement-president-following-attack-unama | title=Statement by the President Following the Attack on UNAMA | accessdate=1 April 2011 | date=1 April 2011 | publisher=The White House | archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5xd8RcFLD | archivedate=1 April 2011}}</ref> |
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*{{flagicon|NP}} whenever anyone wants to protest we can send Nepali so that you can kill. First in Iraq and now in Afganistan. Well we have lots of unemployed, unskilled and deprieved men and women we can give world enough men and women to be jilled for fun. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 03:32, 2 April 2011
| Date | 1 April 2011 |
|---|---|
| Location | Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan |
| Coordinates | 36°42′N 67°07′E / 36.700°N 67.117°E |
| Deaths | At least 13[1] |
| Non-fatal injuries | 20 |
The 2011 Mazar-i-Sharif attack occurred on April 1, 2011 when a mob attacked a United Nations compound in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan and killed thirteen people, including eight foreign workers. The incident was the deadliest attack ever against UN personnel in Afghanistan.[1]
Incident
The incident occurred during a protest over the burning of Koran on 20 March.[2] Estimates of the number of protesters ranged from "hundreds" to as many as 2,000.[3][2] The protest began near the city's Blue Mosque shortly after Friday prayers.[3] During the prayers, worshipers were told by three mullahs to begin protesting in favor of the arrest of Pastor Terry Jones, who was involved in the Koran burning.[4] Protesters were able to overwhelm both local police forces and UN guards; a local police official said that "[p]olice tried to stop them, but protesters began stoning the building and finally the situation got out of control."[4]
According to a spokesperson for the Balkh Province and a local police official, protesters obtained weapons, including guns and knives.[3] The province's governor, Atta Muhammad Noor, said that Taliban agents were among protesters and had encouraged violence, as well as giving weapons to the crowd.[4] 27 people, who Noor said were "insurgents,"[2] were later arrested.[4]
Casualties
The death toll was unclear in the immediate aftermath of the incident. Between seven[2][3] and ten[4] United Nations personnel were reported killed. A UN spokesperson said that "[t]hree international UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) staff members were killed, and four international armed security guards were killed."[3] UN officials said the final death toll could be as high as twenty.[5] Among the dead, a Swedish worker and guards from Nepal were confirmed dead, as well as a Norwegian pilot and a Romanian national.[3][2] In addition, five protesters were killed, with twenty wounded.[1]
Response
After the incident, a state of emergency was declared in Mazar-i-Sharif.[3] Roads near the city were blocked, and cars were inspected by army and police forces.[3] Staffan de Mistura, the senior UN representative in Afghanistan, traveled to Mazar-i-Sharif hours after the incident.[5]
UN regulations mean that after attacks on personnel, staff at the least must be recalled, with a suspension of UN operations possible.[5] A similar attack in 2009, which killed five UN workers, lead to the removal of workers.[5] Despite these regulations, a spokesperson said that there was "not a question of us pulling out. The U.N. is here to stay."[1]
Reactions
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said that the incident was "an outrageous and cowardly attack against UN staff, which cannot be justified under any circumstances and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms."[6]
United States President Barack Obama said in a statement that "I condemn in the strongest possible terms the attack on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan [...] I offer my deepest condolences to those injured and killed."[7]- Template:Country data NP whenever anyone wants to protest we can send Nepali so that you can kill. First in Iraq and now in Afganistan. Well we have lots of unemployed, unskilled and deprieved men and women we can give world enough men and women to be jilled for fun.
References
- ^ a b c d "Up to 20 U.N. staff killed in north Afghan city". Reuters. 1 April 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "Seven killed in worst-ever attack on UN workers in Afghanistan". The Telegraph. 1 April 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "UN staff killed during protest in northern Afghanistan". BBC News Online. 1 April 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "Afghans Angry Over Florida Koran Burning Kill U.N. Staff". The New York Times. 1 April 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Afghanistan: United Nations mission rocked by mob killings". The Guardian. 1 April 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
- ^ "UN condemns deadly attack against staff in northern Afghan city". UN News Centre. 1 April 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
- ^ "Statement by the President Following the Attack on UNAMA". The White House. 1 April 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2011.