Don't shoot at books you don't know...

[DeepIron]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/...ran/index.html

I've been following this story and now this:

Iraq's most powerful Sunni Arab political party on Monday said a U.S. soldier's desecration of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, requires the "severest of punishments," not just an apology and a military reassignment.

Screw 'em... Time to take our marbles and go home... These people simply don't operate in reality.

"I have asked that first this apology be officially documented; second 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."

How insipid and stupid. Deterrent my as* ! The American was there to help give back the country to the Iraqis and they're more worried about a book...

[Tchocky]

I dunno, take 200,000 guys, not all of them are gonna be amber-waves-of-grain apple pie types.
Still, this is nasty and it won't help the situation a bit.

I doubt we're going to find a mandated policy of shooting the Koran, anyone?

[DeepIron]

Originally Posted by Tchocky

I dunno, take 200,000 guys, not all of them are gonna be amber-waves-of-grain apple pie types.
Still, this is nasty and it won't help the situation a bit.

I doubt we're going to find a mandated policy of shooting the Koran, anyone?

What bugs me is the insistence of the Iraqis to punish this guy further...

[kurtz]

It's a book!
An evil one granted, but still only a book. You've got to wonder, it's not like there's a shortage of copies, most maniacs have one, come to think of so have I

[Tchocky]

Originally Posted by kurtz

It's a book!
An evil one granted, but still only a book. You've got to wonder, it's not like there's a shortage of copies, most maniacs have one, come to think of so have I

Choppers inbound

[Platapus]

What the soldier did was reprehensible and unprofessional. The actions of the military with respect to this individual were appropriate. He was removed from his duty and his career is effectively ended.

The apology by General Hammond was sincere and appropriate.

The matter should end there.

Neither the United States Military nor this individual soldier are Muslim nor governed by Islamic law. Any punishment appropriate for a Muslim committing this act would be inappropriate for the soldier.

The act of the soldier was stupid and clearly warranted his removal.

I am hoping that the US military is further educating its troops so such stupid acts are not committed in the future.

This Islamic political party needs to accept the apology.

WE ARE NOT AN ISLAMIC COUNTRY

Our laws are different.

They need to understand and accept this. They really do.

[richardphat]

Arg I agree with you DeepIron!

[Tchocky]

Originally Posted by Platapus

WE ARE NOT AN ISLAMIC COUNTRY

Our laws are different.

They need to understand and accept this. They really do.

Logical, yeah. But I'm trying to think of how an Iraqi, possibly a religious one, might see this.


The soldier wasn't in the US when this happened, was he?
He was part of an occupying army. I think that's the cause of a lot of the anger here.

We bomb your country without reason, then demand that you respect our rules.

They need to accept this, whereas we dont need to accept anything.

[bradclark1]

Now let me get this straight:
It's ok for Muslims to blow up mosques filled with worshipers.
It's okay for mosques to be used as ammo dumps.
It's okay to use mosques as bunkers.
It's okay to use mosques as safe houses,
but it's a death sentence for an American to shoot a Koran.
Got it!
I'm glad I have perspective.

[DeepIron]

Originally Posted by bradclark1

Now let me get this straight:
It's ok for muslims to blow up mosques filled with worshippers.
It's okay for mosques to be used as ammo dumps.
It's okay to use mosques as bunkers.
It's okay to use mosques as safe houses,
but it's not alright to shoot a Koran.
Got it!

That was the "reality" part I mentioned... These people commit crimes against their own (Muslim against Muslim) and they get all bent out of shape about this?

[TteFAboB]

They aren't Muslims, they're politicians. They'll squeeze this to get as much juice as they can.

[bradclark1]

Originally Posted by Mikhayl

Yeah but there you're falling in simplification, the people asking for the punishment are not the ones who blow up mosques so this makes the argument a bit irrelevant.

How do you know? My limited understanding of Iraq and religion is the vocal are the more dangerous.

[DeepIron]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7410367.stm

Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's office said Mr Bush had promised to send the accused American sniper to trial.

Spineless worm... I'd tell the Iraqis that the soldier has faced all the discipline he's gonna face and that's it. Period.

[bradclark1]

Originally Posted by DeepIron

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7410367.stm

Spineless worm... I'd tell the Iraqis that the soldier has faced all the discipline he's gonna face and that's it. Period.

Sounds like a case for the ACLU, but they wouldn't touch it out of fear. If they court-martial him wonder what the charge would be? Why is Bush even getting involved if he is. Pretty stupid.

[DeepIron]

Why is Bush even getting involved if he is. Pretty stupid.

My spin? Dubb-Ya would sell out his mother and convert to Islam if he thought it would help. He's in this "Iraqi War" thing so deep, all he can do is try and mollify the Iraqis and beg forgiveness... Problem is, he's dragging the US down with him when he makes statements like this...