Soldiers, be careful of your target or face "severe punishment"

[brighamr]

Apparently its ok to waterboard people, but shooting a book calls for "severe punishment"


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24724080/

BAGHDAD - President Bush has apologized to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and promised prosecution of a U.S. soldier accused of using a copy of the Quran for target practice, Iraq said on Tuesday.

Bush apologized in a telephone call on Monday with al-Maliki, who told him the incident had humiliated and angered Iraq's largely Muslim population, the cabinet said in a statement.

"The American president apologized on behalf of the United States ... promising to present the soldier to the courts," it said.

A U.S. Embassy spokeswoman said that in the call Bush expressed his deep concern over the "completely unacceptable conduct of an American soldier."

A U.S. soldier has been disciplined and sent home after a bullet-riddled copy of the Muslim holy book was found at a shooting range near Baghdad on May 11. Tribal leaders also accused the soldier of writing offensive language inside the book.

U.S. military commanders in Iraq held a ceremony to formally apologize and present a new Quran to tribal leaders in the area where the incident took place. The No. 2 U.S. commander has also met Iraqi leaders to apologize.

The military has described the incident as "serious and deeply troubling" and stressed that U.S. soldiers respect Islam and the Koran.

There has been no violent backlash in Iraq, as has sometimes occurred elsewhere in the Muslim world after the Islamic faith is perceived to have been insulted, but the Iraqi government has called for the soldier to be severely punished.

 

[scurtis_34471]

If he shot up a Bible, everyone would scream that his rights were being violated.

 

[RancidSumo]

I don't really know what kind of punishment if any he should get but it was very inapproprate.

 

[Dravur]

yeah

it is a book, get a thicker skin. If someone shot up a bible or a book of Mormon, the person would not even be punished. Micheal Moore would probably have him over for dinner and ask him to star in his next propaganda flick.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Not gun related.