Considering the spring is the Tailban's season to get busy on the battle field, this Koran burning incident could be just the spark that sets off an Afghan uprising. Reuters reports: "Police fired into the air to try to disperse the crowd of men throwing stones and chanting "Death to America!" and "Long live Islam!" after they left the city's Blue Mosque following Friday prayers." Followed by: " Crowds of about 700 protesters also gathered in the eastern city of Jalalabad and the volatile southeastern province of Ghazni, where people chanted "We will defend the Koran!," Reuters witnesses said."
But wait, there's more... "The Taliban urged Afghan security forces on Thursday to "turn their guns on the foreign infidel invaders" and repeatedly urged Afghans to kill, beat and capture NATO soldiers." Not good, to say the least!
Making matters worse, Afghan President Hamid Karzai is sure to get as much milage out of this crisis as he can, clamoring for NATO to put those responsible on public trial. Not only can he show he's no Western puppet, but he'll be able to nudge his way closer to the winning side when the Western interlopers eventually leave Afghanistan en masse.
Even with President Obama's letter of sincere apology, it will be the way the US handles the "offenders" that'll determine how the future of the Afghan conflict can be conducted. If America is seen dispensing military justice a la Abu Ghraib, Haditha, or Nisour Square in Iraq, we can expect all hell to break loose. It was precisely this type of "bring them home and cut them loose justice" that let to the Iraqis not signing off on another Status of Forces Agreement.
If the President Obama allows the Afghans to try US service personnel during a presidential campaign, the Republicans will have his ass on a platter. You'd hear the sloshing sounds of salivating the red meat crowd from backwoods of Mississippi to the bowls of Alabama.
In the Muslim mindset, the Koran is the literal word of God and they hold each copy in the highest esteem. Desecrating it in the slightest manor is considered one of the worst forms of blasphemy. Since many in "Christian America" feel the Holy Koran is hardly worth the paper its written on, one can see the bloody collision of cultures dead ahead.
How this can be averted is not clear yet since much rest on the high levels of ignorance and religious intolerance existing on both sides.
Could Koran Cinders Set off Afghan Spring
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