Posted on 04/03/2011 3:20:59 PM PDT by tobyhill
Top U.S. officials in Afghanistan on Sunday condemned the burning of a Quran in the United States that sparked three days of protests in which more than 20 people died.
Burning the Muslim holy book "was hateful, it was intolerant and it was extremely disrespectful and again, we condemn it in the strongest manner possible," said Gen. David Petraeus, who heads the U.S.-led international forces in Afghanistan.
U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry said in a statement that Americans respect the Quran "and all religious texts and deplore any action that shows disrespect to any religious faith."
"At the same time, I want to emphasize, as have many Afghan leaders, that to attack and kill innocent people in response to the deplorable act of one individual is outrageous, and an affront to human decency and dignity," Eikenbery's statement said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Although I think Mr. Stein is widely in error to call the quran burning event “religious expression,” it is certainly expression and protected by 1A.
And I completely agree with you that “Gen. Petraeus’s ranting gives aid and comfort to the enemy. His words portray a hatred of the freedom of U.S. citizens, and mock the U.S. Constitution Petraeus swore to defend.”
His remarks, in the minds of the muslims, validate their beliefs and justify their actions. That is the aid and comfort he has given them.
maybe it is YOU that needs to shut up
they need no excuse other than infidils breathing to behead people
So true. It would now be the Gravel of the rock, the Powder of the rock, or the Dust of the rock, and muslims (who highly respect brute force) would shut up and return to their economic endeavors.
As it is, Islam will keep pushing because nobody is pushing back with any vehemence.
Thank you!
It is very easy to sit behind your computer and rage against the Gen. for stating his opinion while he is in the middle of the shiit storm dealing with the ramifications.
You mentioned you are a “Military Brat”, you are not boots on the ground in a hostile country.
Actions have consequences. The Pastor was within his rights to burn the Koran. The Gen. was within his rights to make a comment about it. That is freedom of speech.
His job is to protect his troops. He is there on the ground with them. He is doing his job. And how is giving his opinion stopping him from doing his job?
Time in service equates to always being correct? I don’t think so. Far from it.
” Without us, the “current Afghan government” is the Mayor of Kabul, if that. No one knows this better than Karzai, unless he is completely delusional.”
he is not delusional, he knows how many millions he and his brother are making off opium business
” Knowing that the Muslims would riot was the reason for the book burning. This was a stupid thing to do by a religious leader. The Muslims just love an excuse to kill Americans.”
smoke them out and kill them, where is the problem?
posting my most used quote I found
“Americans need to consider carefully the decision for war... Be clear on who their enemy is, and determine to destroy that enemy. Recognize there is no clean, polite or gentlemanly way to kill a stranger. If you are not prepared to kill all those that stand with and support your enemy, then surrender to him, for he has already defeated you.”
While I support the Pastor’s right to do this, I think he is doing the USA military a dangerous disservice.
How many have served or now have a son/daughter in a war zone who believe that actions such as this Pastor’s is prudent and acceptable behavior? Not only does it create instability and danger when we have troops in non linear or asymmetric warfare where it impossible to separate friend from foe, it is counter to the overall mission.
I happen agree with the General. It was foolish move that could cost US lives. Is one serviceman’s life worth the right of this “pastor” to make an unnecessary incendiary statement? Not in my book! Was his intent to help the US military accomplish and complete the mission or was it counter to the mission? I see the Pastor as counter to mission.
Let’s give the pastor an appreciation of reality and put him in uniform and on patrol in Afghanistan. Then he just might understand how counterproductive his actions are to those serving. His actions make me doubt if he ever served anyone but the media hounds just like the funeral demonstrators.
We will just have to agree to disagree.
The Incitement Test (Brandenburg)
“The constitutional guarantees of free speech and free press do not permit a State to forbid or proscribe advocacy of the use of force or of law violation except where such advocacy is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or produce such action.”
I never said that Idiot Jones didn't have the right to be a boneheaded jerk and do a reckless, stupid thing. As an American, he does have that right.
I only said that he had the responsibility to think about what he was doing. And what he was doing, no matter what right he had to do it, was endangering our troops.
Yes. The Islamofascists are responsible for what they did. It's their fault.
But Bonehead Ego-centric Low IQ Jones is responsible for the deaths of innocents too......because he knew full well that burning the Koran would put our troops in further danger, and he did it anyway.
He's an irresponsible fool (who, btw, is supportive of the Westboro nutcases), and Petraeus was right to say what he did.
Book burning is irresponsible, pointless and stupid. My son agrees, and your saying that his free thought and speech violates his oath in the military is ridiculous. If you think our troops are uneducated and monolithic in supporting book burning, you should do a little more research on how bright our troops really are.
(And I didn't call you any names, pillut. Read what I said again and try to understand what the words actually say).
Your point is excellent. Unfortunately, our leaders do not acknowledge that we are in an existential war, nor do our leading academicians, nor do our media thinkers and inkpissers acknowledge it or allow such ideas to go unstomped; which means we cannot possibly win it.
We who recognize that Islam is at war with us existentially, are a tiny minority. We don't make policy, we don't affect policy, chirping away at our keyboards.
He also has the responsibility to understand that his right has resulted in death and put our troops in danger, and he should be held responsible for that.
I'm not a fan of Glenn Beck, but his opening monologue this morning was on the money, and every word he and Pat and Stu said was in complete agreement with what I've said here.
Jones is a moron and book burning is reckless, pointless and in this case, dangerous.
The actions of this preacher do two things. They are forcing into the light of day that which is our enemy, forcing the conversation, forcing the lectures etc.
Your post helps bring out into the open what funky restraints our troops have to deal with due to all the PC bull.
Now, the preacher is here...in America burning one koran...IN AMERICA. The idea that this action incites such extreme violence in a land millions of miles away should make all of us take deep pause at the seriousness of our enemy.
Burn a Christian Bible, burn an effigy of countless Presidents, burn our flag, drag our Marines through your streets, hang them from a lamppost and burn their bodies...
It is time for this conversation, but it does need to be on the level of defining our enemy once and for all...it is not about a preacher in America burning one koran.
I agree with your post.
Gen Petraeus was far too diplomatic and too late in his comments. He should have publicly asked this “Pastor” early on if he is with us or against us? Or is he (like the Westboro Church) just seeking his 15 minutes of fame at the expense of the US mission and to make the job more dangerous and difficult for US servicemen and women?
And there in lies why he did not have a protected right to speech.
He knew his actions were incitement. He most likely figured a few protests or riots, what he didn't imagine was blood being drawn for book burning.
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