US Soldier uses Koran for Target Practice in Iraq & international backlash (including against ISAF)

[Ex-Dragoon]

U.S. soldier in Iraq uses Koran for target practice

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. military commanders have apologized to community leaders in Iraq after an American soldier used a copy of the Koran for shooting practice, moving quickly to calm anger among U.S.-allied tribesmen.


Bloody protests have sometimes been held across the Muslim world when the Islamic faith has been insulted.


The swift apology by the U.S. commanders appeared aimed at avoiding similar violence in Iraq.


The U.S. military said on Sunday the soldier, who was not identified, had been disciplined and ordered to leave Iraq after a copy of the Muslim holy book was found riddled with bullet holes at a shooting range near Baghdad on May 11.


The incident is deeply embarrassing for the U.S. military, which has been working hard to forge alliances with Sunni Arab tribes to fight al Qaeda in Iraq. It has credited such alliances with helping to sharply reduce violence in the country.


An Iraqi community leader told Reuters the apology by senior American military commanders had helped calm tensions.


Saeed al-Zubaie, head of a U.S.-allied Sunni Arab tribal council in the Radwaniya area near Baghdad where the Koran was found, said the book had been peppered with 14 bullet holes and offensive language had been scrawled inside.


"I was feeling bitterness, but as long as they apologized we are OK with them. Our anger has cooled," said Zubaie, adding that Sunni Arab tribal units who work alongside U.S. forces in the area had threatened to quit unless the military took action.


The U.S. television news network CNN said Major-General Jeffery Hammond, the commander of U.S. troops in Baghdad, and other officers were met by hundreds of protesters when they went to Radwaniya to deliver the apology.


"I am a man of honor, I am a man of character. You have my word this will never happen again," Hammond told the crowd, CNN reported.


Colonel Bill Buckner, a U.S. military spokesman described the shooting incident as "serious and deeply troubling."


The U.S. military relies heavily on Sunni Arab tribes as part of its strategy to crush al Qaeda, the Sunni Islamist group it blames for most major suicide bombings in Iraq.


BUSH PRAISES IRAQI LEADERS


The Iraqi military said an offensive against al Qaeda in its last urban stronghold in the northern city of Mosul had forced some militants to flee into the surrounding Nineveh province and across the porous border Iraq shares with Syria.


"They're trying to escape because they do not have the ability to confront us," Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said on Sunday.


Previous U.S. and Iraqi offensives against al Qaeda have failed to deal a knockout blow to the group, with its militants preferring to escape to fight another day rather than battling troops backed by amour and warplanes.


U.S. President George W. Bush on Sunday praised Iraqi leaders for their efforts to improve security but repeated Washington's mantra that more work needed to be done.

"I told them that I'm impressed by the progress that is taking place, security progress," Bush said.

He was speaking after meeting Iraq's Vice President, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih, and Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

"We also talked about the fact that more work needs to be done, there's still problems," Bush said, adding that they had also discussed the success of the Iraqi government offensive against Shi'ite militias in the southern oil city of Basra.

Iraqi troops, backed by U.S. forces, gradually took control of Basra, but fighting spread to Baghdad, with security forces fighting daily gunbattles with militiamen claiming allegiance to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. Sadr's political bloc agreed a truce with Iraq's ruling Shi'ite alliance a week ago.

Sporadic clashes, however, have continued. Fighting between security forces and gunmen in the cleric's Baghdad stronghold of Sadr City killed four people and wounded 38 overnight, police and hospital sources said.

A U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, Lieutenant-Colonel Steven Stover, said U.S. forces killed three militants in southern Sadr City after coming under fire, but he knew of no other casualties. The slum was largely quiet on Sunday, he said.

(Additional reporting by Dean Yates; Writing by Tim Cocks: Editing by Ross Colvin and Sami Aboudi)

The stupidity of this soldeir just  amazes me. :

 

[geo]

Guess he wasn't enrolled for his "smarts"

 

[Rodahn]

And our American bretheren wonder why they get tagged with  the label of "ugly American" when they pull stunts like this moron!!!!

 

[the 48th regulator]

And our American bretheren wonder why they get tagged with  the label of "ugly American" when they pull stunts like this moron!!!!

Stupidity is not confined by borders Rodahn, so I disagree with your statement.

dileas

tess

 

[Flip]

Bad judgement, or he wanted a change of scenery - which he got.

 

[Yrys]

Behind the Scenes: Apology for a desecration , from CNN

 

[KevinB]

I have seen a remarkable amount of stupidity from many many nations.

I would say credit goes to the US Mil for being open and honest.

 

[Good2Golf]

Behind the Scenes: Apology for a desecration[/color] , from CNN

MG Hammond probably did more with his actions than one might ever appreciate. 

 

[The Bread Guy]

I would say credit goes to the US Mil for being open and honest.

And timely with a response...

 

[vonGarvin]

And our American bretheren wonder why they get tagged with  the label of "ugly American" when they pull stunts like this moron!!!!

And my black bretheren wonder why they get tagged with the label of (insert racist comment here) when one of them pulls a stunt like (insert illegal act comitted by a black person here).... :

One person acting a certain way does NOT exemplify the group to which that person belongs.

 

[vonGarvin]

I have seen a remarkable amount of stupidity from many many nations.

I would say credit goes to the US Mil for being open and honest.

Amen!  I could not have said it better myself.  The act by that person was horrible.  The response by the leadership was exemplary.  Full stop.

 

[NippyCDN]

The locals said they forgive and forget after an apology,  thats the official line I wonder what the rank and file police/army in the area are taking it.  Best way to lose an occupation keep pissing off the local allies

 

[1feral1]

And our American bretheren wonder why they get tagged with  the label of "ugly American" when they pull stunts like this moron!!!!

Don't label the whole lot, because of ONE idiot's stupid actions.

Ya and of course the ever willing media is always willing to sensationalise anything which sells bad press, and creates anything negative towards this this war.

I hate the media.

 

[Rodahn]

And my black brethren wonder why they get tagged with the label of (insert racist comment here) when one of them pulls a stunt like (insert illegal act comitted by a black person here).... :

One person acting a certain way does NOT exemplify the group to which that person belongs.

I agree, I wasn't intending to label anybody with my post. I was just attempting (rather poorly I guess) that it was moronic stunts like this that cause said label to be applied in general.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Someone shot holes in a book.

Do we get so morally outraged when convicts use a bible for cigarette papers?

I get tired real fast of people offended by an idea.

 

[Infanteer]

Someone shot holes in a book.

Do we get so morally outraged when convicts use a bible for cigarette papers?

I get tired real fast of people offended by an idea.

Unfortunately, that's not how millions of Muslims look at it.  What may be offensive is that more soldiers could die because someone decided to get payback for this - it's happened before....

 

[oligarch]

not to exuse the guy's actions, but maybe the dude had one of those mental "i've gone koo-koo" things after some crap happened to him there and he decided to let off, good thing he shot a book and not a person.... who knows, this kinda thing sometimes happens maybe the meds missed him :S

But I totally disagree with the prison comparison. The prisoner is hardly seen as a representative of the American state. The actions of any soldier are usually seen in public opinion to be an action of the state... at least that's the way I see it

 

[lone bugler]

Wow real bright idea, one word "retaliation"

Don't give the enemy reasons and excuses  to use IEDs, RPGs, Etc. on our boys

 

[TheHead]

Someone shot holes in a book.

Do we get so morally outraged when convicts use a bible for cigarette papers?

I get tired real fast of people offended by an idea.

This is the exact attitude that gets us into trouble overseas.  Hearts and minds. If someone shot holes in a Canadian flag I'd be pissed also.  There is a reason we have cultural training.

 

[1feral1]

This is the exact attitude that gets us into trouble overseas.  Hearts and minds. If someone shot holes in a Canadian flag I'd be pissed also.  There is a reason we have cultural training.

I don't think any Canadians would be blowing themselves up over the flag, after all its spat on and burned by our own citizens, many cases on TV for us all to see.

Recce does have a point.

The enemy also get  'offended' when a cartoon or a book is written against their god, and they go super hostile over it. Anything for a stab at us.