Military: Five Soldiers Responsible for Quran Burnings ‘May Face Punishment’

Clerics Call for Public Trial Rejected

In one of the fastest military investigations in recent member, the Pentagon today says that five US soldiers were responsible for the burning of Qurans in Afghanistan, saying that they might face some sort of punishment.

But the calls by Afghan clerics for a public trial of the soldiers will not happen, officials insisted. Indeed, military officials say that the five won’t even be named, and will instead face small reprimands, and only the possibility of a reduction in rank.

“For the soldiers, it will be serious,” one official said, though another insisted that there was “no ill will” in the decision to include Qurans in the official book burning activities, and that allowing the Afghan court system to handle the case is “not something we’re prepared to do.”

The announcement comes just a day after the United Nations urged the US to take “disciplinary action” against those responsible, saying it was important to follow through on the apologies with this. It is highly unlikely that a “reprimand” is going to satisfy thousands of Afghan protesters.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.