Soldier Used Quran For Target Practice

Military Apologizes For Desecration, Starts Disciplinary Actions; Car Bomb Kills 2 Soldiers

(AP)  An American soldier used a Quran, the Islamic holy book, for target practice in a predominantly Sunni area west of Baghdad, prompting an apology from the U.S. military, a spokesman said Sunday.

Separately, mortar shells slammed into a residential area north of the Iraqi capital, killing at least four people and wounding 30, most children playing outside, officials said Sunday.

The shelling occurred as clashes broke out in Shiite areas late Saturday despite a truce reached last week by Shiite politicians and followers of anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Iraqi police found the bullet-riddled Quran with graffiti inside the cover on a small-arms range near a police station in Radwaniyah, a former insurgent stronghold west of Baghdad, U.S. military spokesman Col. Bill Buckner said in an e-mailed response to a query.

American commanders then launched an inquiry that led to disciplinary action against the soldier, who has been removed from Iraq, Buckner said.

The shooting, which occurred May 9 and was discovered two days later, threatened to further strain relations between the Americans and Sunni allies who have joined forces with them against al Qaeda in Iraq in Radwaniyah and other areas.

The Association of Muslim Scholars, a Sunni group, condemned the shooting of the Quran, calling it "a hideous act against the book of almighty God and the constitution of the nation and the source of its glory and dignity."

The incident was first reported by CNN, which broadcast a ceremony at which the top American commander in Baghdad apologized to tribal leaders in Radwaniyah. The military confirmed the details in an e-mailed response to a query.

"I come before you here seeking your forgiveness," Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond was quoted as saying. "In the most humble manner I look in your eyes today and I say please forgive me and my soldiers."

The commander also read a letter of apology by the shooter, and another military official kissed a Quran and presented it to the tribal leaders, according to CNN.

The military statement called the incident "serious and deeply troubling" but stressed it was the result of one soldier's actions and "not representative of the professionalism of our soldiers or the respect they have for all faiths."

The Sunni alliances have been key to a steep decline in violence over the past year, along with a U.S. troop buildup and a longer term cease-fire by al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia.

Bandaged girls and boys with bloodstained clothes cried as they were packed two to a bed at a hospital in Sadr City, a Shiite stronghold where most of the recent fighting has occurred.

At least three mortar rounds struck a house, an open area and a street where boys were playing soccer in the Maamil neighborhood on Baghdad's northeastern outskirts, witnesses said.

Those killed included a man and three children, according to police and hospital officials who also said at least 30 people were wounded.

Associated Press photos showed men holding two dead babies bundled in blankets. Relatives identified them as 1-year-old Zahra Kadhim and 2-year-old Abbas Nadim.

Sporadic gun battles also occurred in some areas of Sadr City, but no casualties were reported, police said.

Fighting between Shiite militiamen and U.S.-Iraqi forces has ebbed but occasional clashes continue to break out, casting doubt on the durability of the peace deal reached last Monday.

The U.S. military said separately that Iraqi soldiers captured a "special groups" cell leader blamed for coordinating roadside bombings and rocket attacks against U.S. and Iraqi forces, in an operation in Husseiniyah, about 20 miles north of Baghdad.

American soldiers also killed two "special groups" militants after coming under attack by a roadside bomb and small-arms fire in the northern Shiite neighborhood of Kazimiyah, according to a separate military statement.

The term "special groups" refers to Shiite militia fighters who are ignoring al-Sadr's cease-fire order.

The skirmishes in Baghdad came as the Iraqi government has shifted its attention to an offensive aimed at clearing Sunni insurgents from the northern city of Mosul.

The military said 15 suspects have been detained in raids targeting al Qaeda in Iraq so far on Saturday and Sunday, including eight in Mosul - six who were linked to a militant leader in the city and two during an operation to disrupt a planned suicide car bombing attack. Iraqi officials say around 1,000 people have been detained in the sweep since May 10.

U.S. air strikes also killed six militants and destroyed a weapons cache after troops were attacked by rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire near Khan Bani Saad, north of Baghdad, according to a military statement.

In violence Sunday, a parked car bomb struck an Iraqi army patrol in eastern Baghdad, killing two soldiers and wounding six other people, police said.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, said she "made clear that the war must be brought to an end" as she met with top Iraqi and U.S. officials Saturday during a visit to Baghdad.

"It has already taken far too many American and Iraqi lives, it has cost far too much in money and the reputation of the United States, and it has drained far too much from the capability of our military," she said in a statement.

The California Democrat led a bipartisan delegation to Iraq.

[nothappyatall]

Obama said he would open dialogue with other countries, some don''t like that- especially BUSH. Nothing wrong with TALKS, we talked/talk to N. Korea, Japan was once our enemy and attacked us and Pearl Harbor, we TALKED, see what happened as a result?
Kenedy and others have talked to our enemies of the moment as well, its not a new concept.

Without TALK and dialogue, and closing all doors- then there is absolutely zero chance of change or peace at all- none.

[nothappyatall]

"newsterl1
I agree we should start fresh."

Ok, sounds fine then.


"I do not think obama is the answer but i will respect yout right to have a different opinion than mine. I think the key is we need o work together as one nation to correct the problems.

Posted by ranger1948"

I''d take either CLinton or Obama, but still feel Obama represents fresh new energy and prospects of new ideas and new ways of doing things in Washingtoon. He is very educated, bright, articulate, he has an excellent stage presence in front of an audience that projects confidence and pride.
He is an excellent speaker, as well as passionate and compassionate.

Having been raised in a mixed race home, he has seen and been exposed to a lot of different culture and has seen racism and much more, all tempered him into the man he is today.

Clinton is ok, but she carries the negatives of her husbands scandal in many peoples eyes, and then the latest thing where she totally made up the story about being shot at and then covering it with "I mispoke" doesnt go over well either. She didnt misspeak, she totally fabricated the story for drama.
So I am less than thrilled with her but McBush CANT win or we will be in serious trouble- 4 possibly 8 MORE years of failed bushism will really be the nail in the coffin and you can bet we will invade Iran for certain.
The guy being an ex POW has a PERSONAL grudge to settle and given the power to do it scares me to think what he could get us into.

[ranger1948]

newsterl1
I agree we should start fresh. I do not think obama is the answer but i will respect yout right to have a different opinion than mine. I think the key is we need o work together as one nation to correct the problems.

[nothappyatall]

"I am happy you have planned wise financially. Ialso own my own home, free and clear, have only on credit card i ...
I want to see a leadership that will turn our economy around. It is time we stopped trying to be the world police and took care of our own country."

We agree there, we need Obama, he is the best choice, only hope for a fresh change, intelligent, articulate, motivated.


"The Iraquis didnt have the balls to take Sadaam out so they let us capture him so they could esecute him and they are fighing each other as much as ever. They dont know any other way of life and we cant change them. It is time to come home."

They are morons what can I tell ya, the whole fiasco was a BIG mistake from the get-go.

"What i dont inderstand is why you are attacking me when we agree on what is wrong with our govt.
Posted by ranger1948"

Well, you said THIS among other similar sentiments and I responded in kind;

"PREVIOUS POST
You are a devout coward with niothing but mouth to back it up. My family serving our coutry usually doesnt mean anything to a devout coward like you. Why dont you go back and do your camel and relieve some of that stress you ar exhibiting
Posted by ranger1948"

Ok, then if you are so inclined, lets start over fresh and forget all that previous krap then.

[ranger1948]

newsterl1
I am happy you have planned wise financially. Ialso own my oiwn home, free and clear, have only on credit card i keep for emergencies such as car rental if my car has to go to shop. The only thing i owe on is a new truck. I financed it rather than pay cash to help keep my credit rating established. I am glad i managed to keep all my bills paid up as th economy is now in a recession. I do feel sorry for the people wh have worked hard and are now losing their jons and homes. I want to see a leadership that will turn our economy around. It is time we stopped trying to be the world police and took care of our own country.

[ranger1948]

newsterl1
The Iraqui''s didn''t have the balls to take Sadaam out so they let us capture him so they could esecute him and they are fighing each other as much as ever. They don''t know any other way of life and we can''t change them. It is time to come home. What i don''t inderstand is why you are attacking me when we agree on what is wrong with our govt.

[nothappyatall]

If the people WANT change they can rise up and MAKE it happen, just as we did here leaving the UK to found America, or the Civil war, unions and labor movements, womens sufferage and black civil rights- all caused the desired changes.

[nothappyatall]

The worst thing about the war in Iraq is that the Iraqi people are not willing to step up to the plate and take responsibility for their own country.. That the Iraqi people are so whacked out that they can not get along with their neighbors..

Cornbiker

BINGO, so what you just said is they dont want us there and never did, there was no massive uprising after sadumb was executed- axcept for ANTI AMERICAN sentiment and outrage.
The trouble with our Govt is we go force ''help'' on everyone else when they didnt ask for or want it. Our begging myanmar to let us in to give them food and AID is the latest laughable idiocy. We always seem to find billions and manpower to ship overseas but never enough for *OUR* tax paying citizens. WE are expected to cut back, make do, drive on highways, bridges, and use infrastructure that is falling apart, pay higher taxes so we can ship tanker ships full of money, food, supplies and more to other countries, many of which hate our guts and stab us in the back while having their hands out.
Then as usual half the stuff winds up in crooked politicians hands and bank accounts, both here and over there, with no oversight or accountability.

[nothappyatall]

Well RANGER, you aren''t worth the effort to even bother responding to, you are clueless and have NO idea on anything about me, my successes, interests or where I live- hint I OWN my own 2 B.R. house on acreage, free and clear with no mortgage, FICO score at 800 and a $7500 credit card with NO balance on it cause I know how to do finances RIGHT.
I pay my freaking taxes and thats ALL I owe anybody.
The ONLY thing we agree on is the bush regime.



newster1 ~ So your telling us that Iraq was better off under the leadershit of Saddam Hussein?
Posted by cornbiker

Did they *ASK* us to go over there or did we just blunder in like typical azzholes and force ourselves on them?
We have our OWN problems in case you havent NOTICED, many of them very serious and its all been sidelined by this illegal invasion/occupation you seem to justify.
We are NOT responsible for the entire planet!
By your logic lets just go invade N. Korea, Iran and China NEXT because people there need us to save them from the big bad dictators, and lets see where THAT gets us. You go donate half of this year''s paychecks to help pay for that.

[ranger1948]

b

[ranger1948]

i think newsterl1 has tucked his tail and ran back down his hole.

[ranger1948]

underdogus
If your a republican do this country a favor, enlist before the war is over in Iraq

[ranger1948]

lib8er
Bush pulled all these generals out of his *** as they were busy sucking up to him.

[ranger1948]

tcoleman12
I don''t consider my self a hero, but i do consider veterans as a whole tio be hero''s. It takes a special person to serve and i am proud of each and every one of them. My son is 100% disabled from army rangers. My yoiungest daughter just retured from Iraq and my youngest son is getting ready toi enlist for army rangers, against my advice but each has to make their own decisions. I am 100%n disabled from Vietnam but am in pretty good shape for now, considering everything. I do what i enjoy, i travel. I want to see as much of the world as i can while i am able to do so.

[ranger1948]

tcoleman12
Newsterl1 is right. If someone invaded my coutry i would do everything i could to take out as many as possible, meanwhile i would be watching is worthless *** either run the other way or beg for mercy. I am glad i nevr had to serve with anyone like him.

[tcoleman12]

Newster1,
I bet you are the smartest person living in your parents'' basement. You seem to have no idea of what the real world is like other than what you spew on these blogs.
Get over yourself, put some clothes on and step outside every once in a while. Maybe you will run into a real hero like ranger1948 or his family.

[ranger1948]

newsterl1
If you had read my past posts you would realize i do not support the war in Iraq, i think bush and his regime should be impeached and tried for warcrimes. I hope the American public is smary enough on november to vote everyone out of congress that is alreadsy there because they had their chance to fix things and all thy do is sit on their *****. As for spitting on me or any member of the armed forces you would never have the guts. You talk your *** while you hide in your hole somewhere and don''t have the guts to face anyone face to face.

[nothappyatall]

Anyone who is an INVADER of that country, aiming weapons at them or not, is NOT an "innocent" American and deserves whatever penalty the people who live there see fit to dole out, if you cant accept that then DONT INVADE someone''''s country and expect anyone there to sit back and let it happen, YOU wouldn''''t do that if the Chinese army were invading the USA to replace our Govt, so why the hel1 would you think anyone else SHOULD???
Chinese soldiers start coming over the hills in California or something with weapons and tanks, you shoot the chit out of them with whatever you got, and use whatever means you need to to take out as many of the invading army as you can along with their spys, helpers and anyone else helping them.

Ditto over there, the gringo Americans invade and start coming over the hills with weapons and tanks along with their corrupt contractors- you shoot the chit out of as many of them as you can, set up booby traps, roadside bombs, car bombs and take out as many as possible.

[nothappyatall]

newsterl1
Just like i thought
You are a devout coward with niothing but mouth to back it up. My family serving our coutry usually doesn''''t mean anything to a devout coward like you. Why don''''t you go back and do your camel and relieve some of that stress you ar exhibiting.

Posted by ranger1948

Oh bullchit, you are not ''serving'' anything but your own EGO, you and your offspring think you are doing us a great service going to IRAQ- you bush regime enablers! thats ALL you are: bush regime enablers who allowed that maniac to wage war, threaten other countries, almost start the cold war with Russia, subvert OUR civil rights and protect his band of crooks.
I heave a deep sinus lungie on you and yours.

[quetzalcrist]

if you line up a bible,
A Quran, and a Talmud,
shoot them all into smitherenes.....
then put them back together into one book,
i think we would have peace, until the final revision comes out..

Religion is Violence...