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Subscribe to RSSAccording to reports citing local officials in Afghanistan, a female suicide bomber attacked a minibus near Kabul, killing at least nine people in what may be the deadliest act of retribution over an anti-Islam film produced in the U.S. NBC's Richard Engel reports.
Updated at 9:25 a.m. ET: A suicide bomber attacked a minibus near Kabul airport in Afghanistan on Tuesday, killing at least nine people including eight foreign civilians working for an international aviation company, according to reports citing local officials.
Afghan militants claimed responsibility, saying the attack was carried out by a young female in retaliation for a film mocking the Prophet Muhammad.
The South African International Affairs Ministry said that eight of the victims were South African citizens.
Spokesman Nelson Kgwete told The Associated Press that the victims are believed to have been employed by a South African aviation company based at Rand Airport in Johannesburg.
Earlier, Reuters reported that Russians were also among the foreign workers killed. Unidentified police sources put the total death toll higher than the local officials, saying 12 had died.
The attack underscored growing anger in Afghanistan over the film, which has enraged much of the Muslim world and led to the killing last week of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans.
US-Afghan military operations suspended after attacks
Thousands of protesters clashed with police in the Afghan capital on Monday, burning cars and hurling rocks at security forces in the worst outbreak of demonstration-related violence since rioting in February over the inadvertent burning of Qurans by U.S. soldiers.
The death toll from the suicide attack was the highest on foreigners in the city since April 2011 when an Afghan air force pilot gunned down eight U.S. military flight instructors and an American civilian adviser after an argument at Kabul International Airport.
Crowds of angry protesters showed up in Kabul, Afghanistan and Jakarta, Indonesia. The violent uprising followed a deadly weekend marking the deaths of eight International Security Assistance Force members. NBC's Atia Abawi reports.
Haroon Zarghoon, a spokesman for Hizb-i-Islami -- a radical militant group that shares some of the Taliban's anti-foreigner, anti-government aims -- told the Associated Press that the attack was carried out by a 22-year-old woman named Fatima. However, the AP noted that suicide bombings carried out by women are extremely rare in Afghanistan — and few if any women drive cars.
Another spokesman for the group, Zubair Sediqqi, told Reuters: "A woman wearing a suicide vest blew herself up in response to the anti-Islam video."
Gen. Abdul Zahir, director of the local Criminal Investigation Department, told NBC News there was no way of confirming yet if the bomber was a male or female.
Reuters cited unidentified police sources saying the bomber was a woman, possibly driving a Toyota Corolla car rigged with explosives, which she triggered.
Explosion happened in few minutes ago in Kabulinstagr.am/p/Psz8TXQIOn/
— Massoud Hossaini (@Massoud151) September 18, 2012
Local photojournalist Massoud Hossaini who posted a picture of the blast scene on Twitter, said all the foreign bodies he saw were "without any uniform."
Protesters in Kabul and several other Asian cities have vented their fury over the film at the United States, blaming it for what they see as an attack on Islam. The outcry saddles President Barack Obama with an unexpected foreign policy headache as he campaigns for re-election in November. His administration has condemned the film as reprehensible and disgusting.
In response to the violence in Benghazi, Libya, where U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed, and elsewhere lastweek, the United States has sent ships, extra troops and specialforces to protect U.S. interests and citizens in the Middle East, while a number of its embassies have evacuated staff and are on high alert for trouble.
The identity of those directly responsible for the film remains unclear.
Clips posted online since July have been attributed to a man named Sam Bacile, which two people connected with the film have said was probably an alias.
Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, a Coptic Christian widely linked to the film in media reports, was questioned in California on Saturday by U.S. authorities investigating possible violations of his probation for a bank fraud conviction.
NBC News producer Akbar Shinwari in Kabul, Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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- In Niger, child marriage on rise due to hunger
- Obama: US has 'profound respect for people of all faiths'
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Leave a Comment:
I have a question...If a man blows himself up for Allah and gets 30 Virgins when he goes to...where ever they go, what does a woman get?...peace from all men? No having to clean up, no dinners to make, no screaming kids and a Cosmopolitan in her hand?
And by the way...how stupid is it to have 30 Virgins...one woman is enough...whew!!!
It's a good propaganda tool
My question is what do they put in the food and the water to get these whacko's to believe they'll get even one virgin?!?!?!
pyrate, if you find out where it is they go afterwards please let us know!!! Good question!!!!
30 virgins that look like Rosie O’Donnell
That'll be too-kind. Let them have 400 Bin Laden look alike from Hell.
It's not 30 virgins, but 72! Sad part is the muslim jihadist who dies won't know what he's getting with those burka-covered virgins.....be afraid, be very afraid!
Kill all of them. We do not have the time, money, or people to waste before we can decide if they really want our help or they are our enemy.
How is this justified?
When these Muslim extremists do these things and say it is in the name of God, they are committing a terrible sin.
Much worse than the video about Mohammad.
Evil doesn't need an excuse to kill. Isn't in remarkable that they also say it is retaliation? I believe their proportionate response meter is as broke as their ideology.
Just leave the country and they will kill each other. Problem solved!! You can't fight insane people because they have no regard for human life. Get us the hell out of this quicksand and let them do their thing.
For whatever it may be worth the attack mentioned in the article from last April in Kabul was not started by "an argument" as stated in this report. I was there and lost 9 friends in that incident. The attack on our USAF Air Advisors, like most that have happened before and especially since, were seemingly random acts of violence from people that we had worked hard to develop strong bonds with and with whom we felt we could trust. There was entirely no provokation in the Kabul attack and it serves to underscore how difficult that mission is and perhaps hopeless. My heart goes out to the families and friends of those lost today in yet another senseless attack in this largely forgotten war.
The woman suicide car bomber in a sedan blew the explosives laden car next to a minivan carrying foreign workers on the highway to Kabul airport in District 15- 9 foreign workers Russian and South African among victims- altogether 12 dead. They were lying in the wreckage and the car is sgtill smoldering (sablaze) on the highway.3 Afghanis dead and 2 Afghani police injured. Hezb-i-Islami is Afghan born terror ops inside-led by none other than former Afghanistan's Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. All these terrorist groups are staking their claims for 2014 pullout by ISAF- turf war/terror groups war targeting foreigners as 'collateral damage'. All the lives lost- all the monies wasted. Even savages have human feelings- these people do not. Fanatic lunatics in their asylum of Hell on earth.When it comes to videos- what if the foreigners would taker umbrage re:all the suicide bomber videotaping- beheadings- (blood and gore)?
Treachery is at the heart of the Muslim mindset. We helped them rid Afghanistan of the Soviets and they repaid us with 9/11. We helped Libya get rid of Khadafy and they repaid us by killing our ambassador and 3 other Americans. When are we going to learn that treachery is the Muslim's middle name and we can't trust any of them. Stop giving them our precious money and just leave them to their own medieval devices.
In his convention speech, Obama bragged "We’ve blunted the Taliban’s momentum in Afghanistan". So we can be 100% sure that this had nothing to do with the Taliban.
So long as there are no Americans involved Ok, but still those Islamic idiots kill innocent people, just to push their dumb azz religion on everyone....the best we can do is carpet bomb those known areas such as the province in Pakistan where a lot of those idiots are hiding....and should Pakistan complain cut off all aid to the dirt bags....along with the rest of the ragheads, such as those in Libya, Eygpt, etc...then see what they do about their terrorists...
this is ridiculous growing anger in the islamic community? what about the american people growing anger over their constant attacks on us whenever they feel slighted the number of our dead growing trying to help these pieces of sh--!!! enough already kill them all and let god sought them out they want a war lets give them one with all of americas fury i am tired of having a commander and chief who doesnt command and only makes excuses for why they do it and blames us (in this case the film maker)for doing it he is basically telling the american public its our fault i wouldnt let this man obama run a lemonade stand let alone this country for another 4years
Tragic loss for the foreign workers no doubt there to help make that country more comfortable .
I suppose the Bomber was a most likely a Lesbian and was told by her Jihadist friends that by suicide bombing herself to the otherside she would granted the famous "77 Virgins" waiting her arrival ! :)
While walking my dog in a park I found a koran on the ground. My dog pissed on it. Should I kill him? Not sure what is correct here but I gave him a biscuit after he did that. Now he will probably piss on every koran he finds on the ground. Lots of them around after demonstrations.
"Not sure what is correct but I gave him a biscuit after he did that."
LOL!
Mr President, the time for campaigning is over. It's time for you to head back to the White House until this crisis of terrorism is over, at least over for Americans.
A few executive orders you might consider:
Remove all American citizens, diplomats, and military from those countries.
Zero trade will be allowed with those countries. Oh, we need oil? Drill at home.
Zero foreign aid for those countries. Perhaps medicine and food could be airdropped if it's perceived that there are health crisis' there. But don't go overboard. Make sure all Americans at home are healthy and well fed first. And do that without taxing us! (Obmamcare)
Travel to those countries will be illegal for Americans.
Travel to America will be illegal for their citizens. No immigration. Those already here, well I guess they get a free pass as long as they aren't involved in terrorism on our soil.
I'm sure there are more things you could think of. But basically, hurt them in the pocket. They need us more than we need them.
Yes, drop them food after we get out. Pork and sausage made from pork should suffice to fill their bellies.
Sure this is about a film. Do Americans look that gullible? Well, I hope they save some of their ammo, because without assistance, they will be living on a diet of sand and bullets. Without our funding they will be so hungry they'll be eating their precious Qu ran.
dezhawaii: Unfortunately, MOST of the lame stream media and some liberal politicians are constantly pushing the movie as the reason for the uprisings across the mid-east (what - 20 countries now?). Say it often enough and it will become truth; then our freedom of speech becomes a problem not to mention it keeps Obama from being blamed for any of his weak/failed foreign policies. The media must protect Obama at any and all costs - why, I don't know, but there it is. We need to pull everyone out of the middle-east, stop ALL aid (including humanitarian) long enough for these people to turn on each other and, hopefully, reducing the amount of "allah/mohammad" believer/jihadists. There is no other way, except to nuke them to hell and back, then put in parking lots with gas pumps! I'm sick to death of Arabs, Muslums, the middle-east. And why, oh why, is Obama meeting with Jazee/Byounce, et all instead of Israel during one of the biggest crisis of all time?!? Sick of this president, as well! Whew - glad I got that off my chest!
They are fighting foreign domination and occupation, just like every country has done since the beginning of recorded history. Are there any attacks against the American Embassy in Vietnam now?
Lets give them all the suicide vest they want at a one time Kabul Garage sale & advertise the sale out to all the provinces. Have the vest rigged for remote control detonation & watch thousands of would be assassins go meet their 40 virgins.
The Near East has been occupied by so many different cultures which all left their ethnic and cultural mark that unity is virtually impossible. Among them are the Arabs, who fired by Islam about 700AD and starting from Saudi Arabia, invaded and occupied Spain up to France, all of North Africa, the Near East, Central Asia, India, and South East Asia, circling the known globe. The Crusades were a response to this at a time when Europe was threatened from Spain and the Near East, which is rareley mentioned. The Arabs reached the Balkans and their legacy there causes problems to this day. They almost conquered France and were'nt thrown out of Spain till 1452. In all of these places they obviously tried to maintain themselves as the ruling class.
Why is that the killers are always Moslem? These people are evil. If everyone on the planet got upset each time a Moslem mocked our beliefs, and we did the same, I guarantee there will be no more moslems in the world.
This is a religion of death - by design.
What this religion has done over the last 1000 or so years has no place in the heart of god-loving people. Where there's no love there is no god. And these people only have hate. If Mohamad taught them this then they need to examine what they are looking at and need to look in the mirror. These and most Moslems are an affront to humanity!
Who are theses freaks, 1000 years of unstable out rage, killings , be headings, treating each other poorly..
Who are theses freaks to talk about us...
Stick the flag up their asses.
Who are theses freaks, 1000 years of unstable out rage, killings , be headings, treating each other poorly..
Who are theses freaks to talk about us...
Stick the flag up their asses
Stick that book up you ass mr post man
Every country that had people killed by these a$$holes need to team up and erase them from this planet
Awe, contractors from Russia & south Africa, China is there mining but these countries don't have troops there. What is wrong with this picture?
These people are cowards and morons. For these arabs, religion really is the opiate of the masses. They will always be savages and, as long as they act out like a bunch of petulant and stupid children, they will never have the respect that they so badly crave for both their religion and their countries. Once the oil is gone - or once we no longer need to rely upon their oil - they can all go rot ... and they will.
hell yeah takem all out phucking ragheaded freaks what a waste of rags anyway i could use a few good grease rags
i like that red dot between ther eyes makes it easy to find with infered
Those people with the red dot are from India and are our friends. They dislike Islamofascists even more than we do.