Kabul's Irish pub has closed its doors within weeks of opening after warnings that it could be the target of a terror attack.
The Irish Club in Afghanistan's capital, which served only foreigners in a conservative country where the sale of alcohol to the predominately Muslim population is banned, opened on March 17th, St Patrick's Day. It did a roaring trade among expatriate aid workers, diplomats and journalists.
A spokesman for the United Nations in Kabul said UN staff had been banned from going to the bar after security warnings.
"It's been placed off limits indefinitely after warnings that it could be the target of a terror attack," spokesman Mr David Singh said, adding that he did not know the origin of the threats.
The same security warnings have been issued to staff of non-governmental organisations and embassies.
Mr David Porter, an English partner in the business run by an Irish Australian, said the club had decided to shut down for at least a week from Friday because of the warnings.
"We take security of our customers very seriously, so we will stay closed until that threat is over," he said, adding that security warnings had been passed on by the UN and the US embassy.
Another UN official, who did not want to be identified, said the UN mission was also concerned that the sale of alcohol was "culturally insensitive" in a country where it was banned.
"Also from a security standpoint, it's a danger. On a Thursday night you can have up to 200 people there and if someone were to bomb it, they could wipe out the entire international community in one night." Afghanistan has seen repeated attacks in recent months targeting foreigners that have been blamed on remnants of the fundamentalist Taliban regime and its allies.
Porter said the UN ban on its staff visiting the pub was unrealistic, especially when more and more restaurants in the city served alcohol with meals. "We'll see how long it lasts," he said.
- (Reuters)