Iraq party: Punish U.S. soldier who shot at Quran

by Dave Keating | May 19, 2008 at 06:03 am

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One of the major Iraqi political parties is calling for harsh punishments for a US soldier who shot at the Koran, not just an apology and reassignment. Judging by the precedent set by previous such incidents in Iraq, such a move is unlikely to be taken by the US military.

Iraq's most powerful Sunni Arab political party on Monday said a U.S. soldier's desecration of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, requires the "severest of punishments," not just an apology and a military reassignment.

Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond apologizes after a U.S. soldier admitted using the Quran for target practice.

The Iraqi Islamic Party, the movement of Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, condemned what it said was a "blatant assault on the sanctities of Muslims all over the world."

An American staff sergeant who was a sniper section leader used a Quran for target practice on May 9.

The U.S. commander in Baghdad on Saturday issued a formal apology and read a letter of apology from the shooter.

A military investigation found the shooter guilty of the offense; he was relieved of duty and will be redeployed to the United States for reassignment, a U.S. official said.