Sunday, May 18, 2008 - 13:00
AFP News Briefs ListUS soldier 'removed from Iraq' for shooting Koran
A US soldier has been expelled from his unit and sent from Iraq for shooting a Koran, the Muslim holy book, during target practice, the American military said on Sunday.
The unidentified soldier was disciplined after Iraqi police discovered the Koran with bullet holes and graffiti inside its cover last week at a firing range on the outskirts of Baghdad, the military said.
"The soldier in question is being disciplined due to his actions in shooting a Koran," a US military official told AFP. "We hold all of our soldiers fully accountable for their actions."
US military spokesman Colonel Bill Buckner said they viewed the incident "as both serious and deeply troubling," but stressed it was an "isolated incident and a result of one soldier's actions."
"Coalition commanders have since briefed local leaders on the results of the investigation and expressed their deep regret," Buckner said. "They have also undertaken disciplinary action against the soldier who was involved and he has been removed from Iraq."
It was not immediately clear if any other action had been taken against the soldier after Iraqi police brought the issue to the notice of the US military authorities.
"This incident is not representative of the professionalism of our soldiers or the respect they have for all faiths," the US military said in a statement.
There was no immediate reaction from Iraqi religious leaders or the government of Prime MInister Nuri al-Malki.
Images
Muslim religious books including the Koran sit on a shelf as Shiite Muslim worshippers gather for Friday noon prayers in the southern holy city of Karbala on May 16. The US military has said that a US soldier has been expelled from his unit and sent from Iraq for shooting a Koran.
© 2007 AFP Muhammed Sawaf
