More NATO Soldiers Killed in Afghan Protests
Friday, March 2nd, 2012March 2, 2012
Two more United States soldiers serving with NATO forces in Afghanistan have been fatally shot in the continuing violence triggered by the desecration of copies of the Qur’an, the sacred book of Muslims, by U.S. soldiers in February. The deaths, which occurred on March 1 at a base in Kandahar province, brought to eight the total number of NATO personnel killed in attacks related to the desecration. On February 25, an Afghan policeman killed two NATO officers in the Afghan Interior Ministry. Two days earlier, two other American soldiers were among eight people killed in the turmoil. At least 30 people, including the soldiers, have died in the violence.
The protests began on February 20 when Afghan laborers at Bagram Air Field, north of Kabul, the capital, discovered the discarded holy books amid piles of rubbish reportedly sent to an incinerator. The books had allegedly been confiscated from terrorism suspects because NATO officials suspected the books were being used to send secret messages. Theologians note that Muslims consider the Qur’an the literal word of God and treat each book with deep reverence. NATO and U.S. officials, including President Barack Obama, have since apologized, but anger over the incident has continued to escalate.
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