Obama apologizes for Koran burning in letter to Karzai

An Afghan demonstrator holds a copy of a half-burnt Quran, allegedly set on fire by US soldiers, at the gate of Bagram airbase during a protest against Koran desecration at Bagram, about 40 miles north of Kabul, on Feb. 21, 2012.

/ Getty Images

In a letter to the Afghan President Hamid Karzai, President Obama apologized for American troops having burned a number of Korans at Bagram Air Field, the main American military base in Afghanistan, earlier this week.

Tommy Vietor, the spokesman for the National Security Council, confirmed Thursday that Mr. Obama followed up a Feb. 20 phone call with Karzai as a means "to continue their discussion on a range of issues related to our long-term partnership."

"In the letter, delivered by Ambassador Crocker this afternoon in Kabul, the President also expressed our regret and apologies over the incident in which religious materials were unintentionally mishandled at Bagram Airbase," Vietor continued.

According to the Associated Press, which first reported the story, Karzai's office released a statement quoting Mr. Obama's letter.

In the letter, as quoted, Mr. Obama gave his "sincere apologies" and expressed "deep regret for the reported incident."

"The error was inadvertent; I assure you that we will take the appropriate steps to avoid any recurrence, to include holding accountable those responsible," said Mr. Obama, according to the statement.

Violence erupted in Afghanistan on Tuesday after Americans were seen dumping books into a garbage pit where waste is burned. At least seven people have been killed as thousands of Afghans have taken to the street in protest, some of them shouting "Death to America."

[CNH]

GOP leadership: "American exceptionalism means never saying you're sorry."

[USABlueBlood]

SLOW-newsday.

I suppose you are so righteous, moral and ethical as to have some "morality" we who don't support your opinion can borrow? Please be aware that I won't be able to return said borrowed morality as it will most likely be tarnished (speaking as if it weren't when received).

[USABlueBlood]

Typical rhetoric coming from a delusional idealist stuck in an ashram somewhere just south of nirvana. Say what you will, I'm not as much of a blast as your Taliban martyr pals.

[USABlueBlood]

While I DO agree with some of Obama's decisions (keeping in mind that he was handed two war fronts, and a bag-o-s**t economy from GW and his cronies) I cannot support his decision to apologize to ANYONE in the Afghan puppet government, it's people from whom we are still trying to free from centuries of oppression or it's Islamic zealots. Regardless of what US troops do or say, you can't please all the people all the time.

Has ANYONE in that entire region ever apologized for burning the US flag or any other religious text/icons whether on US soil or otherwise? We all know that the answer is NO.

As for all of you bickering fools, our great country runs on apathy, if you don't like it leave.

[USABlueBlood]

Let's not forget what the Taliban/Islamic zealots with the "blessings" of the Afghan gov't did to the amazing Buddhist statues. Don't recall hearing any apologies to the billions of Buddhists...

[USABlueBlood]

SLOW-newsday

You said "Are you a moral relativist, setting your morals on the actions of others?" NO are you and why try pigeon holing folks with your stereotypes?

American Standard is a brand of toilet...

[Zann-Zel]

James Madison wrote: "We are teaching the world the great truth that governments do better without kings and nobles than with them. The merit will be doubled by the other lesson that religion flourishes in greater purity, without than with the aid of government."

[Zann-Zel]

Just got that in an email about the founding fathers and religious liberty. It just seems to fit here.

[nottblu]

When leftwing extremists compare american religious conservatives to savage babaric Islamic extremists that are the major cause of war, unrest and carnage inthe modern world they lose the debate. Such mindless false assertions are insulting at best and totally un-american. There simply is no true comparison. such viscious accussations are motived by hatred for fellow americans and have no connection with reality. In fact I would assert that those that compare americans to terrorists are siding with the terrorists and are just as intollerant as the Islamists are.

[Zann-Zel]

nobblu - YOu start out by saying its unAmerican to insult those you don't agree with - then end up by insulting those you don't agree with.

[d-dagger]

I wish Obama would quit apologizing for the US. Those Korans were defiled by Muslims when they wrote in them. It's because of the messages written in them that the Korans were burned.

[tsigili]

You know, after they killed our guys, there is NO WAY we should have apologized for that!

[sdemaggie]

Wimp

[michaelz06]

Just read that Karzai is demanding that the Koran burners be put on public trial....wonder how long that clown would survive without us?

[varigdc10]

Some wars can be won, others cannot. Its impossible to win a war like this one, the terrain, the enemy, the conditions, everything, unless you torch every inch of the country, and that's never happening, even if its done they'll come back up like cicadas or cockroaches. The Russians learned this and got the hell out out, so should we, the sooner the better, let them all implode themselves.