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TalibanGunmenHunted'Pimps'and'Prostitutes',WitnessesSay

22June,2012

KABUL(Reuters)-For8-year-oldRasoulKhan,acleaningjobatafavoredweekendrelaxationspotforKabul'swealthywasmeanttohelpbringabetterlifeinacountrystrickenbywidespreadpoverty.

Instead,theSpozhmaiHotelbesideQarghaLakewillprobablyevoketerrorwheneverheremembersthefiveTalibangunmenwhoburstthroughitsdoorsastheprivilegedgatheredtorelaxontheeveoftheFridayreligiousholiday.

"Theywereaskingeveryonewherethepimpswere.Theyshotanyonewhowouldnotco-operatewiththem,"saidKhan,bearingafacialinjuryandstandingbarefootafterfleeingtheleafygrounds.

ForthedeeplyconservativeTaliban,menandwomenwhosimplymingle,perhapsflirt,arecondemnedaspimpsandprostituteswhodeservepunishmentsanctionedbyGod.

Theattackagainshowedtheabilityofinsurgentstoeasilystagehigh-profileraidsevenasNATOnationspreparetowithdrawmostoftheircombattroopsbytheendof2014andleaveAfghanstoleadthefight.

Gunmenshiftedalargestoreofrocket-propelledgrenades(RPGs),heavyweaponsandrifles,aswellassuicidevests,intothestone-walled,singlestoreystructuresurroundedbytreesandgardens.

TheTalibansaiditlaunchedtheattacktotargetwealthyAfghansandforeignerswhousedthehotel,about10km(6miles)fromthecenterofKabul,for"wildparties".

Thehotel,likeabuildingsiteincentralKabulusedbymilitantsinApriltounleashbarragesofRPGsandautomaticgunfireonWesternembassies,wasonlylightlydefendedbyahandfulofpoorlypaid'chowkidar'guards.

HUMANSHIELDS

Asintheearlierattackinthecitycenter,twoguardswereimmediatelyshotdead,beginningahorrifying12-hourordealinwhichhostageswereusedashumanshieldsagainstacounter-attackbyAfghanandNorwegianspecialforces.

Withaquaveringvoice,Ebadullah,14,anothercleaneratthehotel,describedhowoneofhisfriendswethimselfwhenaninsurgentdemandedinformationonthewhereaboutsofotherguestswhohadnotbeenhunteddown.

"Hecriedandsaidthathewasanorphanandwastheonlybreadwinnerforhisfamily,"saidEbadullah,wearingtraditionalbaggytrousersandalongflowingshirt.

"Theywerecallingtoeveryone'wherearethepimps,wherearetheprostitutes'.Theykilledmanypeople."

Insidethehotel,aroundeightbodies,somewithbulletwoundstothehead,stilllayontheflooramidshattereddoorsandwindows.Abomblaybeneaththebodyofayoungman--plantedbytheTalibantoinflictmorecasualties.

Manyofthevictimsweredressedinjeansandshirts,thekindofWesternclothesthatusedtodrawfuryfromtheTaliban.Itseemstheywereshotwhiletryingtohide.

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AtamilitaryhospitalinKabulwherethewoundedweretreated,engineerSalderRahirecalledhowhehadgonetothehoteltomeethisbrotherandthreefriends.Bytheendoftheordeal,hissiblingwasamongthedead.

"Theyopenedfireoneverybody.Everybodyjustran.TherewasapartyoutsideandIsawthefathershotdeadandhiswifewounded,"Rahisaid.

Some,likeAbdullahSamadi,24,feelsoluckytobealivetheybelieveithadtobedivineintervention.Hewasjustsettlinginatabout9pmwhenheheardahugeblastfromanRPG,followedbygunfire.

"Wetriedtoescape,butweweresurroundedbysuicidebombers.Wehidourselvesbeneathatreeuntilmorning.Godprotectedus,"hesaid.

Thegunmen,Samadisaid,hadbeencloselywatchingtheirprisonersandsearchingforillegalstocksofwine.

"Arounddawntheycameclosertousandwehadtojumpinthewater,"hesaid.

"Wewerethereuntil9amandthenthesituationgotbetterandweslowly,slowlyswamtowardsecurityforces."

(WritingbyRobTaylor;EditingbyMichaelGeorgyandJeremyLaurence)

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/06/22/world/asia/22reuters-afghanistan-hotel-witness.html?ref=global-home&gwh=C3BAD90A6F91E98579A332FFEB19F041

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TheBook,Bangladesh'sPrimeMinisterWasNeverAllowedToReadByHerFather!

Jun222012

NewDelhi:ItisabookSheikhMujiburRahman,thearchitectofBangladesh'sind

ependence,neverallowedhisdaughterSheikhHasinatoreadwhenhewasalive.

ItisanautobiographyhewrotewhenhewaslodgedinDhakacentraljailbytheauthoritiesoferstwhileEastPakistanbetween1967and1969.

ItisabookHasina,nowBangladesh'sPrimeMinister,decidedtobringoutwhenshewasinthesamejailasanOppositionleaderforallegedgraftduringthearmy-backedcaretakergovernmentofFakhruddinAhmed(2007-09).

Thirty-fiveyearsafterMujibwasassassinatedinamilitaryputschonAugust15,1975,thebookAshomaptoAttojiboni(UnfinishedAutobiography)hitthebookstonIndiaandBangladeshearlierthisweek.

The300-pagebook,basedonhisdiaryhehadpennedinjail,chronicleshisupbringing,family,movementsduringhislifeasastudentactivist,riotsinKolkataandBihar,thePartition,MuslimLeaguepoliticsinKolkata,politicsattheinitialstageofPakistan,EastPakistanandofPakistaningeneral,formationofAwamiLeagueandthe1952LanguageMovementthatsowedtheseedsofBangladesh'sfreedom.

Thebookalsocontainssomefacsimileofhiswritingsandsomeofhisrarephotographs.

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Interestingly,thebookwouldhavebeenlosttoposteritybutforachancediscoveryin2004byoneofHasina'srelativesinadrawerofSheikhFazlulHaqMoni,nephewofSheikhMujibwhotoowaskilledalongwithBangladesh'sfounderonAugust14-15,1975.SheikhMoniwasgiventhediarybyMujibforpreparingatypedcopy.

Don'treaditaslongasIamalive.Readitaftermydeath,thosewordsbyBangau,asMujibisreverentiallycalled,continuetoringeventoday,HasinasaidasshelaunchedthebookinDhaka.

Icanrememberthosewordseventoday,shesaidinanemotion-chokedvoice.

ForHasina,thediarywasaprizedpossession.

WebecameveryemotionalandweregrippedbypainwhenwehandedoverthenotebooktoMohiuddinAhmed,theownerofUniversityPressLimitedforitspublication.

HasinawrotetheprefaceofthebookandveteranBangladeshiartistQayyumChowdhuryhassketchedthecoveroftheBanglaversion.

UniversityPressLimited(UPL)haspublishedMujib'sdiaryinBengaliandwillalsopublishanEnglishversionofthebook.

PenguinIndiahastakenthecopyrighttopublishDhakaUniversityprofessorFakh

rulAlam'sEnglishtranslation.Aspertheagreementbetweenthetwopublishinghouses,PenguinIndiawillpublishthebookinseveralIndianlanguagesincludingHindiandTamil.

UniversityPressofPakistanhasshowninteresttopublishthebook'sUrduversion,UPLsaid.

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/965378/

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