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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

Afghan Mob Kills 7 After Koran Burning

The burning of the Muslim holy book by a Florida pastor last week went largely unnoticed in the U.S. But it enraged a mob that stormed U.N. offices in a normally placid area of Afghanistan, an outbreak of violence that also signaled broadening anti-American sentiment and the difficulty of handing security responsibility back to Afghans. Worshippers attacked U.N. headquarters in Mazar-i-Sharif after a sermon during Friday prayers that denounced the burning of the Quran last month after a mock trial organized by the Dove World Outreach Center. The pastor of the small fringe congregation received worldwide publicity last fall when he announced he was going to burn a copy of the book but later said he changed his mind. The crowd overpowered and killed guards who tried to fight them off, set parts of the U.N. compound ablaze and hunted down workers trapped inside, according to Afghan police/Associated Press. More here. (AP photo: Soldiers ar seen through bullet holes in windshield at U.N. offices after attack)

 Question: What should be done with Pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville, Fla., who triggered the murderous attack by following through with his threat to burn the Quran?



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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