Tens of thousands of Afghans marched through the capital, Kabul, yesterday to protest against the United Nations and the United States.
They were demonstrating against sanctions imposed on the ruling Taleban movement for its failure to hand over Islamic militant Osama bin Laden. The protesters threw stones and raided two UN offices, smashing computers, gates and windows. They also burned a UN flag. Several Taleban guards were reported to have been injured, though no UN staff were hurt. The crowds also chanted anti-American slogans outside the US embassy, which closed a decade ago.
"Death to America, Down with Clinton" and "Long Live Islam", they shouted .
The sanctions came into force yesterday despite a last-minute appeal by the Taleban that they be scrapped or delayed. Ordered by the UN Security Council last month, the sanctions ban Afghanistan's Ariana airline from flying outside the country and freeze the Taleban regime's overseas bank accounts.
Analysts say they are unlikely to inflict much damage on the Taleban, but that the people of Aghanistan could suffer.
The ban on Ariana will sever a vital source of foreign exchange, as well as the main means of carrying mail between Afghanistan and the outside world.
Doctors in Kabul also say healthcare could be affected because half of all medicines and medical equipment for the capital's hospitals are carried by the airline.
Only humanitarian flights are exempted from the sanctions.
UN aid organisations say they intend to continue their work in war-torn Afghanistan despite the protests. The Saudi dissident, Osama bin Laden, is wanted by the US for last year's bombings of US embassies in East Africa.
There has been speculation that Friday's rocket attacks against US and UN targets in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, were also the work of the alleged terrorist mastermind.
Bin Laden has been in hiding in Afghanistan for more than three years. After last year's embassy bombings, the US launched missile attacks against suspected guerrilla training camps run by him in Afghanistan's mountainous interior.
Washington wants bin Laden to stand trial in the US or in a third country. It has led efforts to impose sanctions to try to force the Taleban to give him up.
The Taleban authorities, however, insist their traditions do not allow them to hand over a "guest" to his enemies.
The Taleban regime says it is ready to hold talks with the US but will not negotiate on the surrender of bin Laden.