A Koran for rifle sighting? As long as the dimensions are known, “I can hit it”.

Others said:

via Gateway Pundit – US Sniper Commits Crime of the Century—

The horror! Thank goodness we have a responsible media that reports on the atrocities committed in Iraq by our American men and women in uniform!

Now the jihadists will be able to behead, torch, stone and rampage guilt free for several months.

(Warning: What you are about to read may be very upsetting)

A US sniper used the Holy Quran for target practice.
CNN leads the charge against the military:

A soldier used the Quran — Islam’s holy book — for target practice, forcing the chief U.S. commander in Baghdad to issue a formal apology on Saturday.

Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Hammond, commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, flanked by leaders from Radhwaniya in the western outskirts of Baghdad, apologized for the staff sergeant who was a sniper section leader assigned to the headquarters of the 64th Armored Regiment. He also read a letter of apology by the shooter.

It was the first time the incident — which tested the relationship between U.S.-backed Sunni militiamen and the military — was made public since it was discovered May 11.

“I come before you here seeking your forgiveness,” Hammond said to tribal leaders and others at the apology ceremony. “In the most humble manner I look in your eyes today and I say please forgive me and my soldiers.” Watch villagers protest the Quran incident »

Another military official kissed a Quran and presented it as “a humble gift” to the tribal leaders.

The soldier, whose name was not released, shot at a Quran on May 9, villagers said. The Quran used in the incident was discovered two days later, according to the military.

Was it really in the best interest of this country… or Iraq… or the Middle East… to report this incident?
It looks like the US military handled the incident just fine.

Just what was CNN trying to accomplish by reporting on this?

Once again… It really makes you wonder which side they are on.

UPDATE: JWF notes the predictable reaction at Daily Kos:

The US military apologized, and rather profusely, for the actions of one soldier who used a Koran for target practice in a suburb of Baghdad. […] Read the rest

Today 4:52 PM | Ed Morrissey |

via Knowledge is Power
an apology’s one thing

A soldier used a Quran, the Islamic holy book, for target practice in a predominantly Sunni area west of Baghdad, prompting an apology from the military, a spokesman said Sunday.
~ * ~
…………..another military official kissed a Quran and presented it to the tribal leaders…………….

Today 7:50 PM

via Little Green Footballs
Al Arabiya Goes Nuts Over Koran Shooting

Maybe we’ll get that seethe-fest after all.

Arab satellite channel Al Arabiya is really stoking the flames over this Koran-shooting incident. Here’s the English version of their article; notice the photograph and caption. The soldier is pointing his gun toward a mosque in the distance: US soldier removed from Iraq for shooting Quran.

Muslim Scholars says it is a sign of US hate towards Muslims

The Arabic version of the story, however, makes sure to include several pictures of a Koran with bullet holes. (Almost certainly not the same Koran.)

(Hat tip: Abu Lahab, who emailed that the Arabic comments section is “disgusting beyond belief.”)

Today 3:34 PM

Reuters: Infidels Riddle Koran with BulletsU.S. soldier riddles Koran with bullets in Iraq.

This would be good for a round of seething, except that senior military commanders have already sprung into action and apologized. Leaving aside the inherent absurdity of apologizing for harming a book, Reuters is doing their best to make sure the issue persists, with one of their characteristically even-handed, unbiased headlines:

By Reuters reporter Khaled al-Ansary, who I’m certain is also completely unbiased on these sorts of stories.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – An American soldier has been disciplined and ordered from Iraq, the U.S. military said on Sunday, for using a copy of the Koran for target practice at a shooting range near Baghdad.

Such an act of desecration of the Muslim holy book could inflame anger against the U.S. military presence in Iraq, but an Iraqi community leader told Reuters an apology by senior American military commanders had helped calm tensions.

Saeed al-Zubaie, head of a U.S.-allied Sunni Arab tribal council in the area where the Koran was found, said the book had been used as target practice. It was peppered with 14 bullet holes and offensive language had been scrawled inside, he said.

“I was feeling bitterness, but as long as they apologized we are OK with them. Our anger has cooled,” said Zubaie, adding that Sunni Arab tribal units who work alongside U.S. forces in the area had threatened to quit unless the military took action.

By the way, so no one takes this the wrong way, I’m not criticizing the senior commanders for apologizing; this is a reality that they have to deal with in Iraq. It would be counter-productive to do anything else, when a simple statement can defuse a lot of irrational popular anger, and only senior military officials will receive the necessary respect to cool things down.

It’s still an absurd situation, though.

UPDATE at 5/18/08 12:18:25 pm:

Kos Kidz say: Daily Kos: ‘F*** yeah’: Worse Than Abu Ghraib!

via Say Anything

US Troop Uses Koran For Taget Practice In Iraq

Day after day the people we’re fighting against in the middle east commit atrocities. They maim and murder in the name of a culture that treats women like property. They launch attacks using women and children as human shields. They use mentally handicapped children as suicide bombers. They launch attacks on civilian targets.

Almost never does the media give the outright rotten nature of our enemies the attention it deserves. But one US soldier makes a stupid decision to use a Koran as a target and suddenly the story is headline news.

Reuters even goes so far as to obtain pictures of the shot-up Koran and counts the bullet holes in it.

If the reporters held America’s enemies to the same standards as they hold America itself we’d see balanced news coverage coming out of the middle east.

Updates from the Traction Control Editor:

To New York Times readers – Aside from the post Title, the citations above were full quotes. With links to the sources. Under the heading: “Others said.”

To Charles at LGF (and Gateway, and KISP, and Say Anything) – sorry to have quoted in full, “without permission” – my bad.

To the NY Times – how’s that whole fact checking process working out for you over there?