Afghanistan: Politics and Football add Fresh Meaning to 9/11
Published on
Oct 3, 2013 by Luke Hunt
This article first appeared in The Edge ReviewBy LUKE HUNT / KabulThe sound of gunfire rang out across Kabul. Mobs were rampaging through the streets. Foreign and Afghan troops, fearing the capital was under attack, reached for their guns as civilians scampered for cover.It was September 11, the 12th anniversary of the al-Qaeda strikes on New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, and across Afghanistan security was tight and tensions high.The mood quickly brightened when troops realized their reaction was misguided. While bombings and firefights were being reported from the countryside, Kabul was not under attack – it was a false alarm. Afghanistan had just defeated old rivals India 2-0, winning the South Asia Football Federation Championship.Such a victory was unprecedented....
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