China tries to shrug off deadly attack

By WILLIAM FOREMAN – 2 hours ago

KASHGAR, China (AP) — Blood was washed off the road. Debris was
cleared away. And authorities said peace had been restored Tuesday in
China's restive Muslim region where 16 police were killed in an attack
that may have been timed to overshadow Olympic celebrations.

But there were plenty of other signs suggesting all was not well in
Kashgar, this ancient Silk Road city near the border with Afghanistan
and Pakistan at the opposite end of China from Beijing.

Townspeople were reluctant to talk about Monday's brazen assault.
Police stepped up security checks and put schools, hospitals and
government offices on heightened alert, state-run media and locals
said. Slogans on billboards, walls and buildings urged people to
create a more secure and harmonious society.

The precautions underscored the Chinese government's sensitivity to
anything that could sour its plans for the Beijing Games to be a
pivotal moment of national glory and global acceptance, despite
continuing criticism of its record on human rights.