Middle East

Middle East News

Bush apologizes to Iraq's premier for Koran shooting (Roundup)


May 20, 2008, 14:12 GMT

View blog reactions


Latest Headlines in Middle East

Talkback

Add your comment (no registration required)

page: 1  2 

The Koran wantsMay 20th, 2008 - 16:49:23

Bush dead because he's an infidel non-believer. Bush wants to prosecute a young man who shot this document full of holes. That's our George!

Report this comment

Tom in CaliforniaMay 20th, 2008 - 16:59:37

So what was the sergeant's terrible punishment for shooting the Quran full of holes? They sent him home! Now there's an idea for other American soldiers who are sick of the war!

Report this comment

George in BendMay 20th, 2008 - 17:14:24




Here's a big hi-5 to the soldier.

Report this comment

Were it the Bible, everyone would be lividMay 20th, 2008 - 18:53:28

Put yourself in the shoes (or sandals) of a couple of billion people to whom the Koran is their holy book, and you might begin to understand the problem.

Why the military command apparently never discussed the broad issue of 'desecration' in a country that we're supposed to be protecting I cannot understand. The soldier was removed from Iraq to protect the other troops in his unit, much as Prince Harry of England's presence was not wanted in a combat zone.

This is a stupid, STUPID issue to even arise in the 6th year of combat in Iraq. Just when we need to be making the case that we're NOT in Iraq as part of an anti-Islam campaign, this pops up. The soldier will have to receive a stiff sentence to calm things down.

thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/20/reactions-defusing-a-koran-shootin g-in-iraq/?hp

By all accounts, the United States military acted with great speed after one of its soldiers used a Koran for target practice in Iraq. But was it the right response?

Inside Iraq, there are signs that the targets of the apology are not yet satisfied. Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, the leader of the most powerful Sunni group in Iraq, told CNN that he was demanding a “guarantee from the U.S. military to inflict the maximum possible punishment on this soldier so it would be a deterrent for the rest of the soldiers in the future.”

Demonstrating, perhaps, how seriously the United States takes this potentially explosive situation, President Bush entered the equation himself on Monday during a videoconference with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. During the conference, Mr. Maliki “expressed resentment and anger of the people,” and Mr. Bush apologized and vowed “to present the soldier to the courts,” the Iraqi government said in a statement, according to Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

As the diplomacy continues between Washington and Baghdad, bloggers reacted to the initial apology in an unusual way for the Iraq debate — they were united across party lines. On the right and left, writers approved of an event staged by Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond on Saturday that presented a a multi-pronged atonement, from a Koran kissed by one American officer to statements of regret from the general and from the soldier who did the shooting. That soldier, who was not named, has been pulled out of the country.

Report this comment

fill it full of lead.May 20th, 2008 - 19:19:47

'Were it the Bible, everyone would be livid

Put yourself in the shoes (or sandals) of a couple of billion people to whom the Koran is their holy book, and you might begin to understand the problem.'

The Koran is not a 'holy Book' it is hate speech. Go read it sometime, it's basic message is 'hate the infidel and kill them when you can'.

Google Koran +infidel, there is nothing 'holy' about the Koran.

Report this comment

KORAN commands to kill infidels:May 20th, 2008 - 19:21:17



Allah is an enemy to unbelievers. - Sura 2:98

On unbelievers is the curse of Allah. - Sura 2:161

Slay them wherever ye find them and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter. - 2:191

Fight against them until idolatry is no more and Allah's religion reigns supreme. (different translation: ) Fight them until there is no persecution and the religion is God's entirely. - Sura 2:193 and 8:39

Fighting is obligatory for you, much as you dislike it. - 2:216
(different translation: ) Prescribed for you is fighting, though it is hateful to you.

..... martyrs.... Enter heaven - Surah 3:140-43

If you should die or be killed in the cause of Allah, His mercy and forgiveness would surely be better than all they riches they amass. If you should die or be killed, before Him you shall all be gathered. - 3:157-8

You must not think that those who were slain in the cause of Allah are dead. They are alive, and well-provided for by their Lord. - Surah 3:169-71

Let those fight in the cause of God who sell the life of this world for the hereafter. To him who fights in the cause of God, whether he is slain or victorious, soon we shall give him a great reward. - Surah 4:74

Those who believe fight in the cause of God, and those who reject faith fight in the cause of evil. - 4:76

But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever you find them. - 4:89

Therefore, we stirred among them enmity and hatred, which shall endure till the Day of Resurrection, when Allah will declare to them all that they have done. - 5:14

O believers, take not Jews and Christians as friends; they are friends of each other. Those of you who make them his friends is one of them. God does not guide an unjust people. - 5:54

Make war on them until idolatry is no more and Allah's religion reigns supreme - 8:39

O Prophet! Exhort the believers to fight. If there are 20 steadfast men among you, they shall vanquish 200; and if there are a hundred, they shall rout a thousand unbelievers, for they are devoid of understanding. - 8:65

It is not for any Prophet to have captives until he has made slaughter in the land. - 8:67

Allah will humble the unbelievers. Allah and His apostle are free from obligations to idol-worshipers. Proclaim a woeful punishment to the unbelievers. - 9:2-3

When the sacred months are over, slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. - 9:5

Believers! Know that idolators are unclean. - 9:28

Fight those who believe neither in God nor the Last Day, nor what has been forbidden by God and his messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, even if they are People of the Book, until they pay the tribute and have been humbled. - 9:29 (another source: ) The unbelievers are impure and their abode is hell. (another source: ) Humiliate the non-Muslims to such an extent that they surrender and pay tribute.

Whether unarmed or well-equipped, march on and fight for the cause of Allah, with your wealth and your persons. - 9:41

O Prophet! Make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites. Be harsh with them. Their ultimate abode is hell, a hapless journey's end. - 9:73

Allah has purchased of their faithful lives and worldly goods, and in return has promised them the Garden. They will fight for His cause, kill and be killed. - 9:111

Fight unbelievers who are near to you. 9:123 (different translation:
Believers! Make war on the infidels who dwell around you. Let them find harshness in you. (another source: ) Ye who believe! Murder those of the disbelievers....

As for those who are slain in the cause of Allah, He will not allow their works to perish. He will vouchsafe them guidance and ennoble their state; He will admit them to the Paradise He has made known to them. - 10:4-15

Allah has cursed the unbelievers and proposed for them a blazing hell. - 33:60

Unbelievers are enemies of Allah and they will roast in hell. - 41:14

When you meet the unbelievers, smite their necks, then when you have made wide slaughter among them, tie fast the bonds, then set them free, either by grace or ransom, until the war lays down its burdens. - 47:4
(different translation: ) When you meet the unbelievers in the battlefield, strike off their heads, and when you have laid them low, bind your captives firmly.

Those who are slain in the way of Allah - he will never let their deeds be lost. Soon will he guide them and improve their condition, and admit them to the Garden, which he has announced for them. - 47:5

Muslims are harsh against the unbelievers, merciful to one another. - 48:25

Muhammad is Allah's apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another. Through them, Allah seeks to enrage the unbelievers. - 48:29

Prophet! Make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites and deal sternly with them. Hell shall be their home, evil their fate. - 66:9

The unbelievers among the People of the Book and the pagans shall burn forever in the fire of hell. They are the vilest of all creatures. - 98:51

Fight them so that Allah may punish them at your hands, and put them to shame. (verse cited in Newsweek 2/11/02)

Report this comment

It's about what THEY believe...May 20th, 2008 - 19:30:44

We have 140,000 (approx) troops serving, and more in Afghanistan, dealing with the Muslim population on a daily basis - protecting them, and getting information from them to combat al Qaeda. To THEM, the Koran is 'holy', and this episode reflects the problems of having a 6-year war in the midst of a different civilization.

If al Qaeda was looking for an issue to gain support from fanatics, this is handing them one, on a platter.

There are many different religions in the world, with most people BORN into it - not a matter of choice. Respect for religious beliefs is therefore respect for those individuals, rather than for their books, or other trappings.

The opening of the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, states as follows: “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religions

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qur'an

'Muslims believe the Qur’an to be the book of divine guidance and direction for mankind, and consider the original Arabic text to be the final revelation of God.'

Report this comment

KinanaMay 20th, 2008 - 19:35:48

Actually, if it were the Bible nobody would care less, but shoot the Koran and whoa boy! - you have the president himself issuing apologies. Why? Because the Islamic world could throw another tantrum as they did with the Danish cartoons or the Pope comments. You know what I’m talking about, murderous rioting, burning embassies, assassination bounties, fatwah’s, and all the rest of the ‘if you call Islam violent we Muslims will kill you’ nonsense.

And here’s Bush looking for a “guarantee from the U.S. military to inflict the maximum possible punishment on this soldier so it would be a deterrent for the rest of the soldiers in the future.”

What an incredible bunch of BS! Did you hear that US soldiers? Even though you see for yourselves first hand, the misery & insanity of an Islamic society, you’d better not insult it! No freedom of speech for you!

The fact of the matter is, instead of worrying about offending the Islamic world (as if they are ever going to stop hating US forces, Jews, Christians, Infidels, other Islamic sects anyway) the US should just get out of there and leave them to do what they do best, butcher each other.

Report this comment

KinanaMay 20th, 2008 - 19:44:28

Someone wrote: 'We have 140,000 (approx) troops serving, and more in Afghanistan, dealing with the Muslim population on a daily basis - protecting them, and getting information from them to combat al Qaeda. ...
If al Qaeda was looking for an issue to gain support from fanatics, this is handing them one, on a platter.'

Here's a newsflash for you pal, those people you think we are 'protecting' are al Qaeda!
The civilian population, guided by the murderous dogma of Islam, comprises al Qaeda. It's not a bunch of rogue terrorists hiding in a cave!

Shooting their 'holy book' reflects exactly what I think should be done to it. After all, that book mandates the destruction of the rest of us! Placating them & fooling ourselves into thinking we can turn them into a peace-loving, prosperous Islamic democracy is asininity! There's no such thing. Islam is polar opposite to prosperity & democracy.

Report this comment

Obama better surrender to the terrorists fastMay 20th, 2008 - 19:50:34

Chimpy McHitlerburton’s smirky rodeo ride through history, 24: al qaeda’s virtual defeat in Iraq edition

Quick! Hurry up and elect Obama so the US and its coalition partners can admit defeat and pull troops from Iraq, lest we finish off al Qaeda once and for all! Like, you know, bullies! From Talisman Gate:

A prolific jihadist sympathizer has posted an ‘explosive’ study on one of the main jihadist websites in which he laments the dire situation that the mujaheddin find themselves in Iraq by citing the steep drop in the number of insurgent operations conducted by the various jihadist groups, most notably Al-Qaeda’s 94 percent decline in operational ability over the last 12 months when only a year and half ago Al-Qaeda accounted for 60 percent of all jihadist activity.

The author, writing under the pseudonym ‘Dir’a limen wehhed’ [‘A Shield for the Monotheist’], posted his ‘Brief Study on the Consequences of the Division [Among] the [Jihadist] Groups on the Cause of Jihad in Iraq’ on May 12 and it is being displayed by the administration of the Al-Ekhlaas website—one of Al-Qaeda’s chief media outlets—among its more prominent recent posts. He’s considered one of Al-Ekhlaas’s “esteemed” writers.

The author tallies up and compares the numbers of operations claimed by each insurgent group under four categories: a year and half ago (November 2006), a year ago (May 2007), six months ago (November 2007) and now (May 2008). He demonstrated that while Al-Qaeda’s Islamic State of Iraq could claim 334 operations in Nov. 06 and 292 in May 07, their violent output dropped to 25 in Nov. 07 and 16 so far in May 08. Keep in mind that these assessments are based on Al-Qaeda’s own numbers.

The author also shows that similar steep drops were exhibited by other jihadist groups […]

So. What we have is jihadists virtually conceding defeat, while the leading Democratic candidate for president essentially campaigns on a way to turn that defeat into a victory by removing the obstacles to jihadi success.

To which I say, keep your chin up, al Qaeda in Iraq! After all, O! is promising hopeyness and changitude! — though for a while there, he had me convinced he was directing that message at the US electorate.

Instead, turns out he’s just pitching it toward our adversaries and the uninformed here at home — and of course, to those who feel that shows of US military strength are just part and parcel of an unsavory US international hegemony, one that needs to be thwarted so that we’ll learn our lesson about crass interventionalism (defined as interventionalism in our own national interests, rather than the kind that smacks of showy altruism); stick to ourselves, culturally speaking; and concentrate on important things, like how best to have the government regulate our thermostats, our medical care, our eating habits, etc., as well as how best to “put every American to work” in the service of the State — a small offering, if you will, to the Secular Godhead and His cult of personality.

proteinwisdom.com

Report this comment

page: 1  2 

Add your comment (no registration required)

Latest from M&C Blogs

Al Gore sets cat amongst the pigeons - Global Eye on July 18, 2008 2:08 AM | | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)
Did the New Yorker cartoon miss its mark? - Global Eye on July 16, 2008 2:33 AM | | Comments (12) | TrackBacks (0)
A look behind the Jesse Jackson rant - Global Eye on July 10, 2008 4:45 AM | | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)
Giant Orange - The World in Pictures on July 15, 2008 5:16 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
- The World in Pictures on July 15, 2008 5:13 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
Plasma Production - The World in Pictures on July 15, 2008 5:11 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Advertising

Similar articles

One US and three Iraqi soldiers killed north of Baghdad
Lebanese Sunni leader meets Iraq prime minister in Iraq (Roundup)
Iraq seeks full security control by year-end (Roundup)
Iraq seeks full security control by year-end (Extra)
Iraqis take over control of southern province, US soldiers killed

Advertising

Advertising