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Subscribe to RSSThe U.S. military has recommended administrative punishments, but no criminal charges, for as many as seven troops involved in the burning of Muslim holy books at a NATO base in Afghanistan that sparked deadly clashes.
A military official told NBC News that a classified investigation into how service members burned copies of the Quran earlier this year is now complete.
The investigation made its way to the Pentagon a few days ago and is now in the hands of the service branch chiefs for review.
The investigative report recommends that U.S. Army soldiers and at least one U.S. Navy sailor receive the punishment -- likely a letter of reprimand or a drop in rank and pay -- for their roles in the book burnings.
As many as 12 service members were involved in the chain of events that led to the burning of the religious materials, the military official said, adding that more punishments could be coming.
At least one of the soldiers involved is an officer, the official told NBC News.
None of the names of the military members involved have been released.
The burning took place in February when several Qurans were thrown in the garbage and then sent to the burn pit for incineration. The actions set off days of violent riots throughout Afghanistan.
The incident tapped into anti-foreign sentiment fueled by a popular perception that foreign troops disrespect Afghan culture and Islam.
NATO later apologized for the burning of the holy texts.
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I was in a movie theater during WW2 when marines fired a flame thrower into a cave and japs came out burning and the people in the theater got up and cheered. It was war time and even though Iraq and Afghanistan werent declared wars its still a war when someone is shooting at you to try and kill you. Today we have a great army but a bunch of sissies running it. God save the U.S.of A. with morons running it
I am studying Mohamed with an open mind, and do you know what I find? I find a delusional man with a will strong enough to withstand the torment hurled at him by his contemporaries. I find a horrible attempt in the Quran at usurping Jewish and Christian history as Islam's own. The Quran is wrought with errors, mistakes, and outright conjectures with no historical evidence to support them. Even the Bible, while not believed by all, is verifiable to some degree through historical texts. The Quran takes key religious figures and tosses them toward every corner of the earth in blatant violation of historical accuracy in order lend credence and legitimacy to the Arabs' formerly pagan worship sites.
I would love to debate this with a muslim, but they'd sooner hit you with a heavy shoe than open a dialogue on their religion. It's as if they know in the backs of their minds that their religion cannot stand the cleaner intensity of the holier light that shines upon the Quran as just another book amongst all other things.
We are all the tenants in this world. No need to debate who is the worst or best renter. We must return all properties back to the landlord, if He wishes to terminate the lease.
Google Allen West's smack down of a man that showed up at one of his speechs, Koran in hand. West knew more about the history of Islam than the man did.
These officers should be forgiven. I don't think they intentionally burning the Quran due to hatred. They were simply reckless at that time.
@!$%#ing sand @!$%#s!
The Koran is out to burn down human freedom.
Incinerating it is only poetic justice.
But the military has to be more circumspect when it disposes of this dangerous item
because those who treat it as a icon tend to lose their minds when they hear of it.
The punishment should be for incompetence, not in destroying a playbook of the sworn enemies of liberty.
For all those too ignorant to know, you can get 'administrative punishment' in the military for smiling at the wrong time. It's as low as you can get, and can sometimes be hard to avoid depending on the unit your with.
punishing someone for "not respecting a religion" is the same as forcing religion on someone. isn't it? If I were jewish or christian and I saw some arab burning the first testament would i demand they are punished? No! i would ignore them if it's not my copy. lol. There will never be peace on earth as long as religion and "i am the only one who is right" ideals exist. mindless savages.
This is part and parcel of Islam's strategy for world domination. If they can get everyone to bow to their demands now, it will make it easier to force those same people to convert to Islam later.
Of course it is.
But it's ok for Muslims to burn bibles, murder Christians, and burn churches. Why does everyone defer to the Muslims?
They burn the bible daily in afgan- but here is a prime example of our Black presidents screwed up leadership of punishing people ready to give their lives in a country that has no win-they will still be just as screwed up when we leave there as they want to be screwed up only way they know-Obama you punish someone then you need out of office as a disgraced president worlds wost muslim leader as you are muslim can't be amcerican as you have yet to do one thing to show you are- your not saved as you never said and saved christian can't back Gays or same sex acts as the holy sprit wont allow you to--- but you and that immoral vice president you have are both lost souls ---may God have mercy on you when he judgeses your souls---- shame we as americans can't stand up for our troops and say NO Punishments ---want to punish do top people -then starts with the president it is his watch and his bad leadership that caused it---- remove him from office--------------------
Just how nuts can you be? Typical right-wing nutcase, blaming this on the president. Your reference to him as our "black" president tells us everything we need to know about you and your perspective.
the army is off base to push this punishment stuff. the soldiers were not really under any such order, were they?
I don't understand why people just look at things at the surface? Did the Christians who seem to think the koran is evil not know that within its passages is countless mention of Christ and the Virgin Mary? Do the Jews not know the references to Moses? All the books of God are the same. Study religion and you will see even Hinduism is masked forms of the same modern religions of one God-beliefs.
We believe what we are shown and told by the commercial and political forces. We have become zombies/ slaves to them and have stopped thinking on our own. We as an educated nation need to search for knowledge rather than feed our minds with trash. It is easier to manipulate people of lower IQs, like the extremist leaders are doing by not providing education and providing guns... but here we are educated so as a nation we should use are intelligence to evaluate not become part of a mass of puppets.
If you wish to make a plea for world peace and more understanding, that's great. But I suggest you do so in your own humble words, without trying to "sound" intelligent or educated and claiming to have "studied." (It's just annoying to read a 12 year old pontificating and claiming to be a scholar... it detracts from your nutty crunchy message and makes you sound crazy...)
If it's punishable to US personal to burn this stinking book, then it stands to reason that the towel heads are to be punished for burning the bible, RIGHT???
Just another reason that we must get out of that toilet and let the occupants do what they do best...kill each other.
I don't understand why people look at this on the surface? Did the angry Christians not know of the countless mention of Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary in the Koran? Did the Jews not know of the mention of Moses? Why have we become a puppet nation following what we are fed from commercial and political forces? Why as an educated class have we forgot to seek knowledge rather than trash?
All the books of God are the same. Study religion and you can see hints of masked references to the same God and prophets even in Hinduism. These are recollections of the people of past explained in their times through God.
It is easier to manipulate people of lower IQs and give them guns, anger and not provide them with education. Extremists leaders are successful because the people they manipulate are uneducated and they grab at their weakness be it depression, poverty, social outcast, being uneducated.
We a nation of educated people need not to fall into that level of puppetry. Stop following what they want you to believe. Don't become a slave to their portrayal of millions of people.
Use your minds.
How can something like this be allowed to happen? Even if this was something that was intentional, the burning of books is not something that should have the potential to destroy a service-members career. I've been in the military for almost 14 years, and I've seen Soldiers punished for many, many things, but not something like this. The only possible explanation is that their punishment took into account what events that happened after the media and the Afghan public got wind of it.
Bottom line is the enlisted will get shafted- the Officer nothing will happen to because that is the way it is
What a waste this is almost as bad as the Roger Clemens trial - Is our leadership on drugs or just plain dumb?
Shame on our government.
Political correctness gone totally haywire...
Prosecute soldiers for disposing of a Koran in the method prescribed by Islamic scholars?!
We need to start taking stupid people out of positions of power and authority...
This is stupid.
Absolutely ridiculous as everything is about the muslim way of life.
If I recall correctly, these copies of the Qur'an were taken from library shelves after someone discovered prisoners used them for communicating. Then they were disposed of and burned along with other trash as part of a routine task rather than as an intentional effort to anger any Muslims. I have no idea why anyone was punished for this at all; it was a simple mistake. It makes more sense to take steps so it won't happen again rather than dealing out any punishment.
I also would like to know what Muslims do with the Qur'an once it has been read so many times that it becomes unserviceable. Is the Muslim world filled with warehouses where these holy books are reverently retired once they can no longer be read? Or do paper, mass-produced copies of the Qur'an defy normal wear and tear and miraculously last forever?
I have a copy of the Bible that is falling apart and it's time for me to get a new one. When I do, I will throw my old one in the paper recycling bin. I don't think it will hurt God's feelings.
They should all get capital punishment.
Let's burn all korans[quoran]
What Article of the UCMJ exactly did they violate? If I were them, I would waive NJP and demand a court martial, as is their right in military law.
Other than charging those troops with lighting a fire. No crime has been committed. Show me a written law that says you can't burn a book. I know there are laws that say you cannot start fires. I don't believe there is a written regulation that says you cannot burn a book. Me thinks, the military is groping for a solution to expel the foreign policy embarrassment. Sorry. What they did was not a crime under current law. You can make a law but doubt the public will support it being retroactive. Stop trying to be Muslim kiss asses.