Inline
Report: NATO Promises to Put Koran Burners on Public Trial As Soon As Possible
Protests continued today over the koran burning incident at Bagram airbase earlier this week.
Afghan men shout anti-U.S slogans during a demonstration in Jalalabad province February 22, 2012. Gunfire wounded at least 26 people during fresh protests in several cities across Afghanistan over the burning of copies of the Koran, Islam’s holy book, at NATO’s main base in Afghanistan. (REUTERS/Parwiz)
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The Karzai goverment said NATO promised to put the koran burners on public trial as soon as possible.
Reuters reported:
Afghanistan wants NATO to put on public trial those who burned copies of the Koran at a NATO base, President Hamid Karzai’s office said on Thursday, after a third day of bloody protests over the incident.
It said NATO had agreed to a trial, but that could not be immediately confirmed.
Karzai had earlier accused a U.S. officer of “ignorantly” burning copies of the Koran, in an incident that has deepened anti-Western sentiment in a country NATO is trying to stabilize before foreign combat troops leave by the end of 2014.
Demonstrations have drawn thousands of angry Afghans to the streets, chanting “Death to America!” amid violence that has killed 11 people including two U.S. service personnel.
“NATO officials, in response to a request for the trial and punishment of the perpetrators … promised this crime will brought to court as soon as possible,” Karzai’s office said in a statement.
President Barack Obama sent a letter to Karzai apologizing for the burning of the Korans, after Afghan laborers found charred copies while collecting rubbish at the sprawling Bagram air base.
