UK foreign secretary visits, comment on Quran unrest

Описание: (15 Jan 2010) SHOTLIST
++QUALITY AS INCOMING++
1. Wide of British Foreign Secretary David Miliband walking with Helmand provincial officials
2. Various of media during news conference
3. Wide of news conference by Miliband and Helmand officials
4. SOUNDBITE (English) David Miliband, British Foreign Secretary:
"The British people respect the Quran. Two million people in Britain are muslims who pray from the Quran. We will not allow the Taliban or the enemy to pretend that Britain is here against Islam. We are here to support the Afghan government in defending muslim people against other muslims who would try to intimidate and kill them."
5. Cutaway of media
6. SOUNDBITE (English) David Miliband, British Foreign Secretary:
"The Quran for British people is a symbol of peace and cooperation and that is the spirit in which we are supporting the governor here in Helmand province."
7. Various of Miliband meeting Helmand provincial governor, Gulab Mangal
STORYLINE
Britain''s foreign secretary on Friday made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan''s Helmand province, where he met local government officials to discuss his country''s continued military presence in the province.
At a news conference, the foreign secretary was asked about the recent unrest in the province over claims coalition forces desecrated the Quran - Islam''s holy book.
Miliband dismissed the claims insisting they were untrue and were only intended to incite unrest.
Tensions have intensified in Helmand after local protesters claiming that international troops destroyed copies of the Quran clashed with Afghan and foreign security forces on Tuesday.
The tumult left six people dead, Afghan officials said.
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) denied the allegation that international forces desecrated the Quran and blamed the Taliban for the unrest, claiming militants spread false rumours, then organised Tuesday''s protest.
Another five Afghan civilians were wounded on Thursday when Afghan and NATO forces fired warning shots to disperse a crowd of 200 to 400 people marching toward the checkpoint at the entrance of a military base in Helmand.
NATO on Friday said the shots were fired after people in the crowd ignored warnings to keep a distance from Combat Outpost Sher in the Garmsir district of the province.
It said one individual struck members of the combined force with a stick.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...