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Shah Marai / AFP - Getty Images
A man aims a slingshot toward U.S. soldiers at the gate of Bagram airbase during a protest against Quran desecration on Feb. 21, 2012 north of Kabul, Afghanistan. Protesters besieged the base and guards responded by firing rubber bullets from a watchtower, an AFP photographer said as the crowd shouted "Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar" (God is great).
Massoud Hossaini / AFP - Getty Images
A U.S. soldier wields his assault rifle as another soldier handles a shotgun while standing at the gate of Bagram airbase during a protest on Feb. 21, 2012.
Msnbc.com and news services report — Afghan demonstrators used slingshots and fired guns in the air while U.S. helicopters responded with flares, after thousands of angry people gathered Tuesday to protest the alleged burning of copies of the Quran at the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan.
The demonstrators — shouting "Die, die, foreigners!" — started gathering in the morning after learning of the incident.
The top NATO general in Afghanistan, General John Allen, ordered an investigation, offered "sincere apologies" and said any improper handling of the Quran was "NOT intentional" in a written statement. Read the full story.
Shah Marai / AFP - Getty Images
Youths take cover from rubber bullets shot by U.S. soldiers at the gates of Bagram airbase on Feb. 21, 2012.
Shah Marai / AFP - Getty Images
Demonstrators show copies of the Quran allegedly set alight by U.S. soldiers.
Shah Marai / AFP - Getty Images
A boy watches as a young man aims an airgun at U.S. soldiers at the gate of Bagram airbase on Feb. 21, 2012.
Musadeq Sadeq / AP
A protester gestures towards a U.S. soldier in front of the Bagram base on Feb. 21, 2012.
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My oh my, Holy S___! So much for winning the hearts and minds.......The one man who seemed to understand this was Stanley McChrystal. The commander-in-chief believed a bunch of lies published by Rolling Stone Mag about Stanley and canned him; stripped his stars right off his uniform. What is the old saying about "walking in someone else's shoes?" How would most Americans feel if these very same people burned the United States flag, burned the Bible. or worse used pages of the Holy Bible for toilet paper rather than their left hand? When that idiot pastor down in Florida threatened to burn the Koran, ( Quran) he received telephone calls from many of the "higher-ups" in Washington. Their message to him was that if he did that deed it would endanger the lives of our brave troops.
What I'm hearing these days, allah akbar sort of translates to all a us to the bar! Those guys, when they get their opportunities, like to tip the bottle. Case in point, five or six incompetent idiots from Iran after a few too many last week in Bangkok. Need I mention, in the company of some fine Thai ladies! Now as for the mentioned book, c'mon, it's only a book. Landfills are full of them!
Any people who value a book higher than a human life aren't deserving of being called human. I'm begining to think they're all nuts over there
The truth (not politically correct of course) is that they are barbarians in the truest sense of the word. Civilization completely passed Afghanistan by, the present population consists of wild feral humans. There will be no civilizing of these people unless they opt for it. They never have in the past and are unlikely to do so in the future.
I seem to remember the Stars and Stripe's being burned on 9/11 in Afghanistan. That offended me but I didn't go out and slingshot anyone. Secondly, if the prisoners were using the Quran to "communicate" that is a breach of security and it needs to be dealt with. I'm sure that the communications did not include plans to promote world peace.
These same protestors would have no problems with burning the Bible. We need to get our troops out of their and leave these people to their own destruction.
Time to let the entire country of Afghanistan descend back into darkness and burn to ashes. Ta-ta, bozos. Have a nice short life in the middle ages.
Is it just me or is the guy with the slingshot wearing an American sweatshirt????
That's because he wants to come here to play football.
I've been there. They are hypocrites and would not care about burning bibles or flags or anything else for that matter, but they do care about the koran. They care about the koran because to them it is the only truth, and if you don't believe what they believe they think you should be killed. I see all these cheesy bumper stickers that say "coexist" with various symbols of world religions to spell the word, but the fact of the matter is: somebody who calls you an "infidel" or somebody who is willing to suicide bomb you because you don't believe what they believe, and that they will be rewarded for killing you in the afterlife doesn't WANT to coexist. Who CARES if they burnt a book?! Is it the last copy that will ever be printed? I wouldn't burn a Koran for three reasons: I think it’s counter-productive to what so many have fought so hard to accomplish, I don’t care enough, and I don't want to waste a match and lighter fluid. Asking everyday citizens to not burn korans because it may endanger service members is definitely a worthy cause, but as a veteran I would say that our freedoms, our first amendment rights in this case, are a much more valuable. Every service member in our armed forces held up their right hand and stood before an American Flag and swore a solemn oath to support and defend the Constitution of The United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. With this oath comes the inherent knowledge that one may have to lay down one’s life to support and defend The Constitution. We cannot bow to the demands of a violent minority. If you have truly reflected to see that this is not a message of hate but a summary of my observations, and still feel that I am wrong, by all means keep thinking what you already think. All I ask is that you reflect on this, and that you use the information that is around you before formulating an opinion, and if you still disagree please continue to disagree. Ask yourself: why should the world bend to the will of one group of people? Why should we all succumb to the beliefs of a violent minority? Should Americans live in fear of how they express themselves? (Sorry for the long-winded and grammatically incorrect response, but I am so sick of having to apologize for an American citizen exercising his or her rights.)
Well said.