Obama Apologizes for Quran Burning in Afghanistan
By AMIR SHAH and PATRICK QUINN Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan February 23, 2012 (AP)
President Barack Obama apologized Thursday for the burning of copies of the Muslim holy book at a U.S. military base this week, as violent protests raging nationwide led a man dressed in an Afghan army uniform to kill two U.S. troops.
The Afghans' furious response to the Quran burning — three days of riots in several cities nationwide — reflected the anger at what they perceive as foreign forces disrespect for Afghan laws and culture.
In a letter sent to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Obama expressed his administration's "regret and apologies over the incident in which religious materials were unintentionally mishandled," White House national security council spokesman Tommy Vietor said. He added that the letter was delivered by Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Thursday afternoon.
Karzai's office said Obama called the Quran burnings "inadvertent," adding that the U.S. "will take the appropriate steps to avoid any recurrence, to include holding accountable those responsible."
U.S. apologies for the desecration — and an appeal from Karzai for calm — have failed to temper the anger of Afghans, who staged rallies in seven provinces Thursday, sparking clashes with Afghan police and security forces that left at least five demonstrators dead. Seven protesters were killed in clashes on Wednesday.
The two NATO service members were killed in eastern Afghanistan by a man dressed in an Afghan army uniform. Both troops were Americans, according to a U.S. official, who confirmed their nationalities on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the information.
Mohammad Hassan, an official in Nangarhar province where the shooting took place, said the two Americans were shot by an Afghan soldier after soldiers fired in the air to disperse protesters outside a U.S. base in the Khogyani district. Two protesters were also killed in the ensuing gunfire, Afghan officials said.
A rising number of Afghan security forces, or militants wearing their uniforms, have shot and killed U.S. and NATO service members.
The Taliban on Thursday called on Afghans to attack foreign troops, and their spokesman has issued a statement ordering its commanders to embrace and protect the families of any Afghan policeman or soldier who turns his gun on foreign troops. "Call them heroes," he said.
Protesters also rioted outside a U.S. base in Mehterlam, the capital of Laghman province. Police broke up a demonstration using water cannons and batons after protesters tried to storm the base.
"Hundreds of our people in Laghman province gathered because of the burning of the holy book by the Americans," said protester Mohammad Issa.
"Everyone is so emotional. The burning of the Quran broke our hearts and we are attacking the PRT because they are American," he said, using the acronym for the provincial reconstruction team.
In Oslo, Norwegian military spokesman Ivar Moen said a Norwegian soldier was wounded after demonstrators threw a hand grenade into a military base in Maimanah, in northwestern Faryab province where Norwegian, Latvian, Afghan and U.S. troops are deployed.
The soldier was wounded after up to 200 demonstrators hurled rocks at the base and shouted epithets. Norwegian troops responded with warning shots and tear gas. Moen said the demonstration was over, but new protests are expected tomorrow.
In the city of Baghlan in the north, clashes between police and protesters attacking the police headquarters left one person dead. Police said 10 officers were also wounded, two from gunshot wounds.
Police said another two protesters were killed and six wounded in another exchange of gunfire during a protest in southern Uruzgan province.
The riots erupted Tuesday after Afghan workers at the main American military base, Bagram Air Field, saw soldiers dumping books in a pit where garbage is burned and noticed Qurans and other religious material among the trash.
The top U.S. and NATO commander, Gen. John Allen, quickly issued an apology and telephoned Karzai and major news organizations to explain that a collection of religious materials, including Qurans, had mistakenly been sent to be incinerated. As soon as someone realized what they were burning, they stopped and retrieved what was left, Allen said.
Karzai also met Thursday with parliamentarians — many of whom had called Wednesday for Afghans to wage a holy war against international forces. He told them that a U.S. officer responsible for the incident "didn't understand" what he was doing and the United States "accepted the mistake of its officer."
He commended the U.S. government for "acting quickly regarding this issue and apologizing." Karzai said that he was most concerned with making sure that such acts are not repeated.
Four copies of the Quran were burned before the incineration was halted, according to initial Afghan government reports.
NATO and Afghan investigators Wednesday visited the Parwan detention facility, where the Qurans were taken from. U.S. officials said they had been removed from the shelves of the facility's library because they contained extremist messages or inscriptions. The White House said it was an accident that they were sent to be burned.
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The American Embassy in Kabul announced on Twitter that it is closing its doors and staff were forbidden to leave the premises, fearing violent attacks.
Quran burning: US apology fails to ease anger in Afghanistan
(Protesters shouted "Death to America!" and "Death to (President Hamid) Karzai" in a large demonstration on the outskirts of the Afghan capital.)
KABUL: Four people were shot dead and dozens wounded in protests in Afghanistan which flared for a second day on Wednesday in several cities over the burning of copies of the Quran, Islam's holy book, at NATO's main base in the country.
The American Embassy said its staff were in "lockdown" and travel had been suspended as thousands of people expressed fury over the burning, a public relations disaster for US-led NATO forces fighting Taliban militants 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 apologised after Afghan labourers found charred copies of the Quran while collecting rubbish at the sprawling Bagram Airbase about an hour's drive north of Kabul.
It failed to contain the fury. Thousands of Afghans took to the streets again, chanting anti-American slogans.
Winning the hearts and minds of Afghans is critical to efforts to defeat the Taliban. Similar incidents in the past have caused deep divisions and resentment among Afghans towards the tens of thousands of foreign troops in Afghanistan.
Seven foreign UN workers were killed during protests that raged across Afghanistan for three days in April 2011 after a US pastor burned a Quran in Florida.
In Parwan province, home to the sprawling Bagram airbase where the Quran burning incident occurred, two people were shot dead by Afghan police and 13 wounded while attacking offices, provincial spokesman Roshan Khalid said.
A protester was shot dead by police in Logar province, east of the capital, the governor's spokesman, Deen Mohammad Darwish, said.
Afghan health ministry spokesman Ghulam Sakhi Kargar said one person also died in hospital in Kabul from gunshot wounds received during one of two shooting incidents at protests in at least four areas of the capital.
Shots came from the direction of a foreign military vehicle parked outside a US military base, said a Reuters witness. It is not clear who opened fire. International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) officials said they were unaware of shootings.
Later, wounded protesters along the busy Jalalabad road on the fringe of Kabul said Afghan police had fired on them.
CHANTS OF "DEATH TO AMERICA", "DEATH TO KARZAI"
Twenty-one people, including 11 policemen, were wounded in the capital, said Mohammad Zahir, head of Kabul police's crimes unit. They included the city police chief, Ayoub Salangi, who was hit in the ankle by a stone.
Critics say Western troops often fail to grasp the country's religious and cultural sensitivities. Demonstrations by as many as 2,000 people broke out as word of the find spread.
Police said most injuries were caused by flying stones and sticks hurled by protesters. Demonstrators had charged police lines and nearby military bases at a protest on the edge of Kabul, burning tyres and smashing vehicles and building windows.
Protesters shouted "Death to America!" and "Death to (President Hamid) Karzai" in a large demonstration on the outskirts of the Afghan capital.
"When the Americans insult us to this degree, we will join the insurgents," said Ajmal, an 18-year-old protester in Kabul.
Demonstrators set fire to part of a housing compound used by foreign contract workers. A Reuters witness said the fire damaged part of a guesthouse at the Green Village complex, where 1,500 mostly foreign contractors live and work.
Outrage also spilled over in the Afghan parliament, where several members shouted "death to America" inside the legislative chamber.
Muslims consider the Quran the literal word of God and treat each book with deep reverence.
The protests spread to several cities. In Jalalabad in the east, demonstrators praised the leader of the Afghan Taliban, the secretive Mullah Mohammad Omar, screaming "Long live Mullah Omar!", Reuters witnesses said. Five people were wounded, the governor's spokesman said.
Afghan media said demonstrations had also erupted in the province of Parwan, near the capital.
In Logar province, hundreds protested in front of the governor's office. Some threw stones. Separate protests were also under way in Jalalabad in the east.
Some protesters burned US flags and shouted "Death to America". Others torched fuel tankers near the city's airport.
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