Apology after US soldier shot at Koran for practice
The Scotsman
20 Maggio 2008
BAGHDAD: US MILITARY commanders have apologised to community leaders in Iraq after a US soldier used a copy of the Koran for shooting practice, fearing an outburst of anger among US-allied tribesmen.
Bloody protests have sometimes broken out across the Muslim world when the Islamic faith has been insulted. The swift apology by the US commanders appeared aimed at avoiding similar violence in Iraq.
The US military said yesterday that the soldier, who was not identified, had been disciplined and ordered to leave Iraq after a copy of the Muslim holy book was found riddled with bullet holes at a shooting range near Baghdad on 11 May. Pictures show the Koran with at least ten bullet holes.
The incident is deeply embarrassing for the US military, which has been working hard to forge alliances with Sunni Arab tribes to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq. It has credited such alliances with helping to reduce violence sharply in the country.
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