Quran row: Obama apologizes to Karzai
Source: Agencies |
February 24, 2012, Friday
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UNITED States President Barack Obama sent a letter to Afghan President Hamid Karzai yesterday apologizing for the burning of copies of the Quran at a US military base in Afghanistan, the White House said.
Obama told Karzai the incident, which has sparked angry protests against US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, was not intentional.
The letter, which the White House said was a follow-up to a phone call earlier this week between the two leaders to discuss a "long-term partnership" between Washington and Kabul, was delivered to Karzai by US Ambassador Ryan Crocker in Kabul.
"In the letter ... the president also expressed our regret and apologies over the incident in which religious materials were unintentionally mishandled at Bagram Airbase," White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said.
NATO confirmed a man in Afghan army uniform killed two of its troops in the east - both Americans - yesterday, but declined to say if the shooting was connected to the protests.
The Quran burnings could make it even more difficult for US-led NATO forces to win the hearts and minds of Afghans and bring the Taliban to the negotiating table ahead of the withdrawal of foreign combat troops by the end of 2014.
The US government and the American commander of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan have apologized for the burnings after Afghan laborers found charred copies of the Quran while collecting rubbish at Bagram.
Obama told Karzai the incident, which has sparked angry protests against US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, was not intentional.
The letter, which the White House said was a follow-up to a phone call earlier this week between the two leaders to discuss a "long-term partnership" between Washington and Kabul, was delivered to Karzai by US Ambassador Ryan Crocker in Kabul.
"In the letter ... the president also expressed our regret and apologies over the incident in which religious materials were unintentionally mishandled at Bagram Airbase," White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said.
NATO confirmed a man in Afghan army uniform killed two of its troops in the east - both Americans - yesterday, but declined to say if the shooting was connected to the protests.
The Quran burnings could make it even more difficult for US-led NATO forces to win the hearts and minds of Afghans and bring the Taliban to the negotiating table ahead of the withdrawal of foreign combat troops by the end of 2014.
The US government and the American commander of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan have apologized for the burnings after Afghan laborers found charred copies of the Quran while collecting rubbish at Bagram.
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