U.S. official on Koran burning: We'll move forward

(CBS News) Four Americans have been killed and at least 15 wounded in attacks in Afghanistan since last week when Islamic holy books were burned at a U.S. base there. Dozens of Afghans have been killed or wounded in riots. The U.S. says the Korans were burned with trash by mistake.

On Wednesday, "CBS Evening News" anchor Scott Pelley spoke to U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan Crocker, and Marine Gen. John Allen, the commander-in-charge of the war. An excerpt from the interview follows:

Pelley: Ten years in the country, sir -- how can these Korans have been burned?

Allen: It is something we're not happy about frankly, and before the sun went down that day, Scott, I issued an order from my headquarters that called for the retraining of the entire force to assist us in understanding the significance of the Koran and of the other religious materials to the Afghan people. That's my obligation as a commander, that's our obligation as a people.

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Pelley: Ambassador Crocker, the U.S. has been building a relationship in Afghanistan for more than a decade now, and I wonder how much has this relationship been set back by this incident with the Korans?

Crocker: Scott, clearly it's been a bad week but I'm quite confident we'll get through this. The pace of protest has slowed dramatically. A decade's worth of relationships doesn't go away in a single week, so we'll move forward.

Watch the full interview with Ambassador Crocker and Gen. Allen below:

[Fox_Rush_Parrot]

Those people are complete whack jobs! You never see this kind of outrage when a suicide bomber kills women and children in a public place. You don't see this kind of enthusiasm to improve their lives. It seems as though praying and Allah is the only important thing in life. These whackos need to get their priorities straight! Having religion is fine, but being alive and prospering with a peaceful life is most important. With all due respect, who the hell needs to pray five times a day anyway? Once a day is sufficient. There are far more important things to be concerned about!!!

[samXXkiley]

coucou,
****A decade's worth of relationships doesn't go away in a single week, so we'll move forward.****
=============
That is correct,
hopefully the value of that decade of relationships between the two countries will be safeguarded through mutual respect,
especially, that the lessons are learned after this incident
"au revoir"

[uisignorant]

They should court marshal whom ever opened their mouths. There was no reason to ever make this public.

[ky1946]

If you would read the report, you would find an afghan worker found the book or books in a burning trash pile. The books were not written in english and don't necessarily glow in the dark. They are not black or brown leather bound and don't have HOLY BIBLE stamped on the front. The emphasis was, these books are being written in and passed between inmates with subversive and suggestive additions. The books were already desecrated and used to bypass isolation necessary to security.

[ammo17]

this is suppose to be a highly intelligent military with all the troops and sailors suppose to have a high school education.nobody should desecrate anyones religion or beliefs.as for these genenrals they should be in the background they are not politicians.discipline your troops,and stay out of the headlines.us navy veteran 1963-1967.

[fjinnw]

So if I burn your bible, your flag. I even burn your house, Its ok for you?

[camrajoky]

Did not the inmates use the Koran to pass messages....in such did they descactate the book before doing so....If the Koran is to be such a symble of there religion....why is it ok for them to bring shame to themselves by writing in it.

[bradoxn]

Should have apoligized for not burning more of them.

[hayseedbears]

You will never be able to reason with an unreasonable person. They are still PO'd about the Crusades. And they won.

[fredisalive]

who were the nuts manning that group of uneducated imbeciles? We have lost enough men without some idiots coming up to really screw up
the nations chances of winding this sh(&t up!

[MitchReno]

They should be apologizing to us for making such a ridiculous and deadly spectacle of themselves over this matter. It is a terribly backward, intolerant, and moraly bankrupt group of people that would take any life over the burning of ANY book. Burn a truck load of Bibles and no one in the US would react as insanely lacking in logic as these Afganis. What is sacred or religiously significant about any religious text? It's the words, thoughts, and stories in the book - not the book itself. The burning of a book does nothing to diminish anyone's faith. Unless these people are so weak in their faith that the burning of a holy book somehow diminishes their soul, then they owe us a big apology. And if they are somehow diminished by the burning of a book then they need to grow up and relize how dangerously childish their rantings really look.

[nancy_naive]

You have an inflated view of American tolerance.

[Molly-Pchr]

Uh-oh, we're moving forward again. People love that phrase to death. I wonder what it means. Pelly is a riot..."ten years in the country, sir...how can these Korans have been burned?" Typical, typical. I say, ten years in the country, sir, time to bring our troops home.