Source: Reuters
(Adds details, quotes)
BAGHDAD, May 18 (Reuters) - An American soldier has been disciplined and ordered from Iraq after a copy of the Koran was found pocked with bullet holes at a shooting range near Baghdad, the U.S. military said on Sunday.
Such an act of desecration of the Muslim holy book could inflame anger against the U.S. military presence in Iraq.
The U.S. television news network CNN said that when senior U.S. commanders went to the village where the Koran was found to apologise, they were met by hundreds of protesters.
Colonel Bill Buckner, a U.S. military spokesman, said commanders were ordered to swiftly investigate after Iraqi police found the Koran on May 11 at a firing range in Radwaniya village near Baghdad.
He described the incident as "serious and deeply troubling".
Beside being riddled with bullet holes, graffiti had been scrawled inside the cover. It was not immediately clear if the Koran had been used for target practice.
"Coalition commanders have briefed local leaders on the results of the investigation and expressed their deep regret," Buckner said in a statement.
"They have also undertaken disciplinary action against the soldier who was involved and he has been removed from Iraq."
Besides being shipped out of Iraq, it was not clear what other disciplinary action had been taken against the soldier. His whereabouts were not immediately known.
In his statement, Buckner stressed that the U.S. military respected Islam and the Koran.
CNN said it was present on Saturday when U.S. commanders apologised to local leaders in Radwaniya, an area where Sunni Arab tribes have joined forces with the U.S. military to fight al Qaeda.
It said when U.S. commanders arrived at a police outpost they were met by hundreds of protesting tribesmen.
Major-General Jeffery Hammond, commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, said in an address to the crowd: "I am a man of honour, I am a man of character. You have my word, this will never happen again.
"In the most humble manner, I look into your eyes today and I say, please forgive me and my soldiers," CNN reported on its website. (Reporting by Dean Yates; editing by Sami Aboudi)
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This has exposed the real intention of the on-going anti-Islam crusade, at the time when G.W. Bush goes out of his way to support the rogue state of Israel and its on-going Nazi-style atrocities. It is not clear how would G.W. Bush face the Saudis or solicit their help in fighting Muslim Iran while his troops carries out such a horrendous provocation in Muslim Iraq. There is no need to emphasis that such provocations will send people in droves to join all organisations fighting the USraeli invaders. The message of Bin Laden calling on Muslims to liberate Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan will be heeded.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Arabs ( e.g. Iraqis, Jordanians, Palestinians, Egyptians) who were under the contol of the British Empire were happy to see Hiller bombarding London. While Arabs (e.g. Libyans, Somalis) who were under the control of the Italians were supporting the British in defeating their allies the Germans. Don't forget that Churchil and Roosvelt sat down for a photo with Stalin in Tehran. Seeing Israeli atrocities during the last 60 yeras one can easily conclude that one Hitler wasn't enough.
Today G.W. Bush is in Saudi Arabia, mainly to inform Saudi King Abdullah of his latest talks in Israel concerning the imminent attack on Hezbuullah, Syria and Iran. At the time when Bush soldiers are using the holy koran for target practice in Iraq, the shameless King will shake the hands of this deranged monster bent on detsroying other Muslim countries before the end of his term in office sadly, with Saudi support. Naturally, most Saudis are enraged by the US soldiers firing at the Holy Kuran and will not listen to their king but to the other Saudi, Bin Laden, calling on them to fight the USraeli criminals.
Adnan Darwashj, Iraq Occupation Times
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