Hamid Karzai calls on US Congress to condemn pastor's Qur'an burning

[babsbunny]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/03/karzai-congress-pastor-jones-burning

Afghan president issues demand despite Barack Obama's condemnation of 'act of extreme intolerance and bigotry'

Jon Boone in Kabul and Dominic Rushe in New York

The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, appears to have added fuel to the violent protests in Afghanistan after calling on the US Congress to condemn a Christian preacher's burning of the Qur'an.

Karzai's demand came despite a statement from Barack Obama denouncing the behaviour of American pastor Terry Jones as "an act of extreme intolerance and bigotry".

But the Afghan president, in a meeting on Sunday with the US ambassador, Karl Eikenberry, and David Petraeus, the US commander of Nato forces in the country, demanded that the top US lawmaking body should condemn Jones.

The report of the national security council meeting, issued by Karzai's office, highlights the concern of some analysts that the president is pandering to the demands of anti-western protesters rather than attempting to quell violence that has already cost dozens of lives, including the seven UN officials killed by a mob in Mazar-e-Sharif on Friday.

[geek_sabre]

1. What's his stance

on the resulting beheadings and murders?

[CJCRANE]

2. Unless Karzai is playing his part...

as neocon stooge.

He was instrumental in stirring up this issue.

[Hannah Bell]

4. yes, isn't that interesting.

[hack89]

3. Hopefully they have more sense than that.

especially since I don't see Karzai condemning the actions of the mob.

[sabrina 1]

9. 'Karzai Condemns Attack On UN Office'

Karzai Condemns Attack On UN Office

In a statement released by President Karzai's Office, the attack on the UN office has been described as inhumane.

"The Afghan President in the strongest terms condemns the attack by opportunists who misused the demonstration killing 7 UN workers and 4 civlians," the statement said.

[hack89]

12. Then I guess Congress can condemn him

as long as they emphasis that he did nothing illegal.

[sabrina 1]

5. The people of Afghanistan have witnessed the

abuse of their citizens now for ten years. They've seen the torture videos of Abu Ghraib and they know about the ones that were so bad we never got to see them.

More recently they learned about the 'Kill Team' who treated their citizens, including a 15 year old and a respected and innocent Imam, like animal prey. And they know that this is not the only example of the extreme abuse and disrespect perpetrated against their people.

Just over a week ago, once again, drones killed more of their innocent civilians, this time 9 little boys. This after last years' killings of school children and their teachers by the invading army.

They have held large, mostly peaceful demonstrations for years, demanding that the killing stop, to no avail. Those demostrations are never covered in the Western media.

Their country is a shambles. Drone attacks continue despite the knowledge that they consistently kill mostly innocent men, women and children.

Then some idiot in Florida adds insult to real injury and an out of control murderous mob takes revenge on innocent people. He was warned by both the State Dept and the Pentagon, that his actions could cause the deaths of innocent people. The country is at war, and into the already inflamed atmosphere created by these wars, this radical extremist chose, knowing full well the potential for the deaths of innocents as a result of his actions, to do it anyhow. He has now announced, even after the murders of the UN workers, that he will do it again.

After 9/11 the U.S. started two wars killing untold numbers of people, mostly innocent. The majority of Americans, over 70% approved of those wars in order to get revenge for 9/11. Not many in this country cared very much that most of those we took 'revenge' on were completely innocent.

When Bush started his wars, he was warned by more thoughtful members of Congress and by millions of citizens that there would be awful consequences for untold numbers of people.

For those who need things spelled out, the murderers who killed innocent UN workers, are the scum of the earth. If they are going to be held up as representative of the Muslim people, then the Kill Team and Jones should be held up as representative of the American people.

Something needs to be done to stop the horrible consequences of Bush's wars and to start to try to reverse the damage, way too late for millions of people, but it has to stop somewhere.

Karzai is dealing with an enraged population because of the daily killings of civilians. He has repeatedly demanded that the use of drones be stopped. Now may be a good time to put a stop to those devastating bombings.

[msongs]

6. yeah but the citizens only rioted and murdered because paper was burned. kids killed? no biggee nt

[sabrina 1]

7. That was sarcasm right?

Because the killing of their kids is a huge biggee in Afghanistan right now and has been for years. But most Afghans do not kill people to make that point, they have been holding protests and doing whatever they can to pressure their own government to stop their 'allies' from killing their citizens.

[Waiting For Everyman]

14. I agree with you.

My point below was only that Karzai himself is messing this up. Completely agree that from the peoples' pov, it's about much more, and the behavior of our military over there (some of them at least) has been inhuman. The conflict itself is a disaster that needs to end asap.

And then our military needs a big reform.

[sabrina 1]

24. I agree n/t

[iwishiwas]

8. Karzai is the one politicalizing this issue. He lived in the US and knows

the concept of freedom of speech.

[sabrina 1]

10. So would you suggest he remain silent about this event

in order not to rile people up?

[iwishiwas]

15. I read that this event took place a while ago?--he had

a chance to bring it up earlier but did so at a major event. He knows we have laws--we just can not tell people what to say or do (disgusting as some things are). Yet, he made an issue of it.

I think it was the way he did it and continues to use this event to rile up his groups to his advantage.

[sabrina 1]

16. There were lots of other events that took place very recently

such as the revelations about the 'Kill Team' and the killing of 9 little Afghan boys last week. The killing of civilians over the past ten years has caused intense anger in Afghanistan. Karzai has repeatedly asked that the drone bombings, repsonsible for most of the civilian deaths, be stopped. People have been demonstrating against these killings for years.

He's human, maybe he has had it after the latest killings of children and the revelations of the Kill Team. Maybe he just blew up finally. He asked that the NATO occupation end. That's what the people want.

Or, maybe he was playing a role assigned to him to rouse up the people, so that there is a further exuse for NATO to stay?

Who knows, it's a war. Bad things happen in wars, and a lot of bad things have been happening in that country.

It is interesting that he mentioned the Koran burning now. I have some thoughts on that, but nothing to back them up, so I'll keep them to myself for now.

[iwishiwas]

17. I tend to agree with what you say but in the end, he is corrupt and

many in his government are corrupt. He should think of what that does to his country also.

[Hannah Bell]

19. why shouldn't he remain silent? why would he care that some phony pastor

of a phony church with 50 phony members burns a koran?

He's been instrumental in publicizing it. Tells you something.

[sabrina 1]

20. Yes, well as I said, it does make you wonder assuming

it was from him that the people of Afghanistan first heard about it. I have my own thoughts on why he chose to do that, IF as I said, they did not already know about it.

[Hannah Bell]

23. what are your thoughts?

[cali]

11. so what? what does that have to do with Congress passing a resolution condemning it?

That doesn't conflict with free speech? I'm all for it.

[Bluerthanblue]

18. I'm for it as well.

Free speech means the members of Congress can speak as well-

[sabrina 1]

21. Good point! n/t

[Waiting For Everyman]

13. He's the one who called attention to it in the first place. Needs to STFU.

For once our media didn't make a big deal out of something like that. But he decides to score political points with it somehow or other, makes a public statement about it, and that's how it became a public issue there.

He broke it, he can fix it. Anyway, if Congress were to make a statement on it, that would only blow it up bigger. Smart move again, Karzai.

[JoePhilly]

22. +1