No charges in Quran burning in Afghanistan
Source: Agencies |
August 29, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
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SIX US Army soldiers and three Marines escaped criminal charges for burning Qurans and urinating on the corpses of Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, but they received administrative punishments, according to US military officials.
A military investigation concluded that miscommunications, poor guidance and soldiers' decisions to take "the easy way instead of the right way" resulted in the burning of more than 300 Qurans and other religious books at a US base in Afghanistan early this year.
The Quran burning triggered Afghan riots and retribution killings, including two US troops who were shot by an Afghan soldier and two US military advisers who were gunned down at their desks at the Interior Ministry.
The exact punishments were not disclosed on Monday, and it was not clear whether the lack of criminal charges would trigger any protests in Afghanistan. Administrative punishments could include demotions, extra duty, forfeiture of pay or a letter in their file. They also could stall future advancement and end military careers.
Afghan officials have claimed the Quran burning was intentional, and the incident reinforced perceptions in the country that Americans are insensitive to the Afghans' religion and culture.
Discipline against a US Navy sailor in the Quran burning was dismissed. The Navy said the sailor was found not guilty of any alleged misconduct. The Marine Corps said it will announce discipline against additional Marines in the urination case at a later date.
The investigation report gave new details about the burning of about 315 religious books and Qurans, which were taken from the Parwan Detention Facility. The religious books and other materials were put in burn bags and were taken to a fire pit used to burn garbage at Bagram Air Field, a major US base north of Kabul.
More than 2,000 books, including about 1,200 religious texts and Qurans, were targeted for disposal, but most were saved when an angry crowd of Afghans interceded. About 100 religious books were destroyed. Others were recovered, but many were damaged.
The report found that service members "mishandled" Qurans and other religious materials and put them in an incinerator. But it concluded that there was no "malicious intent to disrespect the Quran or defame the faith of Islam."
Instead, it said the burning resulted from miscommunications, ignorance about the handling of Qurans and the failure to provide clear guidance. It also said the soldiers mistakenly interpreted a commander's order to get rid of the books as permission to take them to the burn pit.
A military investigation concluded that miscommunications, poor guidance and soldiers' decisions to take "the easy way instead of the right way" resulted in the burning of more than 300 Qurans and other religious books at a US base in Afghanistan early this year.
The Quran burning triggered Afghan riots and retribution killings, including two US troops who were shot by an Afghan soldier and two US military advisers who were gunned down at their desks at the Interior Ministry.
The exact punishments were not disclosed on Monday, and it was not clear whether the lack of criminal charges would trigger any protests in Afghanistan. Administrative punishments could include demotions, extra duty, forfeiture of pay or a letter in their file. They also could stall future advancement and end military careers.
Afghan officials have claimed the Quran burning was intentional, and the incident reinforced perceptions in the country that Americans are insensitive to the Afghans' religion and culture.
Discipline against a US Navy sailor in the Quran burning was dismissed. The Navy said the sailor was found not guilty of any alleged misconduct. The Marine Corps said it will announce discipline against additional Marines in the urination case at a later date.
The investigation report gave new details about the burning of about 315 religious books and Qurans, which were taken from the Parwan Detention Facility. The religious books and other materials were put in burn bags and were taken to a fire pit used to burn garbage at Bagram Air Field, a major US base north of Kabul.
More than 2,000 books, including about 1,200 religious texts and Qurans, were targeted for disposal, but most were saved when an angry crowd of Afghans interceded. About 100 religious books were destroyed. Others were recovered, but many were damaged.
The report found that service members "mishandled" Qurans and other religious materials and put them in an incinerator. But it concluded that there was no "malicious intent to disrespect the Quran or defame the faith of Islam."
Instead, it said the burning resulted from miscommunications, ignorance about the handling of Qurans and the failure to provide clear guidance. It also said the soldiers mistakenly interpreted a commander's order to get rid of the books as permission to take them to the burn pit.
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