Monday October 8 1:09 AM ET

Thousands of Afghans Flee Capital After Strikes

KABUL (Reuters) - Thousands of Kabul residents, fearing more U.S. attacks after three waves of bombing raids during the night, began to flee the Afghan capital as dawn broke and the nightly curfew was lifted.

Children, toddlers, elderly men and women huddled in buses and trucks as they tried to leave Kabul for the safety of neighboring Pakistan or for rural parts of the rugged country that do not present prime targets to U.S. bombs and missiles.

Some carried meager household items and most looked around them in fear. Many blamed Washington for forcing them into barren lands outside the city as winter nears.

``We are leaving because it is no longer safe here. Thanks to America,'' an elderly disabled man told Reuters at a bus station just after dawn.

``Look at this small kid. Can she endure hearing the bangs of the gifts of the American government,'' he said referring to the overnight bombardment of missiles and bombs.

``We just want to leave this city since no one slept last night,'' said another man, sighing as his children shivered in the cold early morning breeze.

``Tell the Americans that we have faced enough sufferings, destruction and casualties because of the past wars and they should spare us,'' he said.

However, many others began the day as normal, opening up their shops and driving to work.

``We don't feel safe, but we can't go anywhere,'' said one man on his way to work.

``The Americans say they and the West will help our people with their so-called humanitarian aid to survive the winter, but first they should think about their attacks now,'' he said.

``People are shocked and can no longer endure more attacks,'' he said.

Even though government offices began to open, with Taliban guards at their usual posts at front gates, people were frightened of more attacks.

``My neighbor died of a heart attack during the bombings,'' said the man on his way to work, adding that the missiles appeared to have landed close to residential areas.

-- Anonymous, October 08, 2001