SFGate

U.S. aid crate gone awry damages Afghan poet's shrine

Wednesday, November 21, 2001

(11-21) 02:20 PST AGH NAZANGAH, Afghanistan (AP) --

A crate of U.S. food aid damaged the roof of an intricately carved wooden shrine honoring a Persian poet, villagers in western Afghanistan said Wednesday.

A few houses in the area also were damaged by the crates of U.S. aid packets that landed late Monday in Agh Nazangah, a village on the outskirts of Herat. There appeared to have been no injuries.

Some villagers who gathered at the cemetery Wednesday lamented the splintered roof of the shrine of Khajeh Abdollah Ansari, a celebrated poet who lived 1,000 years ago. The roof of the 15-foot high tomblike shrine, which sits next to the poet's grave, had been bashed in by a crate of food aid that had floated down on a parachute.

Other villagers seemed more intent on collecting the packets of aid scattered in the area. The packets containing stew, rice, fruit pastries and peanut butter have appeared for sale in the bazar of nearby Herat.

"I'm very sorry the tomb was destroyed. But the food is good," said Khaled, a 25-year-old who goes by one name.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001