'Bush apology' for Koran shooting

[YankeyMCC]

(snip)
Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's office said Mr Bush had promised to send the accused American sniper to trial.
(snip)

(snip)
"The American president apologised on behalf of the United States... promising to present the soldier to the courts," Reuters news agency quoted the statement as saying.
(snip)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7410367.stm

I can understand an apology, maybe not at the national level from Bush but to the local community. Perhaps the solider in question needs to be disciplined if he violated safety rules on the range (I'm not clear if the shooting of the book happened on a range or designated practice area or somewhere else) or safety rules in general. But courts? We're going to try a solider for a religious offense? And that is what that would be about, the apologies have been about religious offense, the reason for the outrage are religious in nature.

[DS1]

1. They'll get him with "conduct unbecoming"

It's a handy catch-all charge the military has, the civilian version would be called something like "public douchebaggery".

It was a dumb move, yes, but charging him with an actual crime is dumber still.

Who's the appeaser now, Mr. Bush? You gonna let some "extremist militant radicals" get their way with you?

[China_cat]

5. What would you expect for a Muslim caught

shooting up a bible?

[DS1]

7. Couldn't give a damn either way

I'm sure it's been done a few hundred thousand times throughout the years.

[msongs]

2. so where's the apologies from the koran readers readers for shooting americans? nt

[Winterblues]

12. Would you apologize for shooting foreign occupiers of your country?

Why do you think they need to apologize for defending their nation? How many people in america that read the Koran go around shooting soldiers? How many people in america that read the bible go around shooting people..

[Fridays Child]

3. It was an f'ed up thing to do but for Bush to publicly apologize for it...

...will anger his base. I hope McCain follows suit.

[Progressive_In_NC]

6. Actually, in talking with one of his base in the cube next to me.

It didn't anger him at all. He wishes folks would be that civil to the Bible in the US, and says he respects the president for apologizing for desecrating their holy book. Then he made some stupid comment about Democrats defiling the Bible and I put on my headphones.

[Fridays Child]

9. I checked at freepturd republic and comments are running about ten to one...

...against Bush for this. A few, like your officemate, are relatively more thoughtful, but not many.

[Progressive_In_NC]

14. Yuck, I hope you took a shower with Clorox after that...NT

[Lerkfish]

4. FWIW, its the political equivalent of tossing a light match into a gasoline truck.

[Dogmudgeon]

8. The soldier should face discipline, not crucifixion.

What he did was a disgrace, but he ought not be publicly punished for political reasons. If Bush wants to make nice, it should be with better diplomatic initiatives, not symbolic gestures.

But this is the Bush Administration -- who am I kiddin'?

--p!

[old mark]

10. Bush is a gutless POS

Muslims have routinely defiled and destroyed symbols of other religions worldwide when they gain power in a region.
The idea of sending this soldier to some sort of court is repulsive.
Bush, just have the Saudis come here and run the US directly and skip the theatrics.

The sooner this man leaves office, the better for everyone.

mark

[zbdent]

11. Bush just appeased Iran ...

at the expense of one of Bush's biggest sycophants ...

[hokies4ever]

13. maybe not Iran specifically

but definitely the Muslim world. It's a shame that this soldier will be made an example of the way they're going to do him. It'll really look pathetic if they try to give him a bigger punishment than some of the participants in Abu Ghraib.

[zbdent]

16. if this were Bill Clinton, Faux would be in a flaming uproar ...

remember, an issue was made when he gave an autographed basketball to North Korea's PM/head ...

[WinkyDink]

15. This high level of an apology is unconscionable. IT WAS A BOOK, MADE OF PAPER.

And THIS is the nation we're considering BOMBING??

Jeez, what kind of apology would follow THAT?!