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| May 15, 2005 | Sunday | Rabi-us-Sani 6, 1426 |
US promises thorough probe into desecration
WASHINGTON, May 14: The United States has assured the Muslim world that the inquiry into the alleged desecration of the holy Quran would be “thorough and transparent” and those found involved would be held accountable. The comments –- delivered at a State Department briefing on Friday afternoon –- mark the fourth consecutive day the US administration has said it was appalled by reports US interrogators at Guantanamo Bay had desecrated the Quran while questioning Muslim prisoners.
The department’s spokesman Richard Boucher told the briefing that US consulates in Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore have been closed as a precautionary measure and US citizens in Pakistan have been warned that demonstrations and rioting can occur at any time.
The report, first published by Newsweek magazine, has sparked deadly anti-US riots in Afghanistan and protests across the Muslim world. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday the desecration of the Koran was “abhorrent” to American values and Mr Boucher reiterated those comments on Friday.
Their comments contrast sharply with those of Gen Richard Myers, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said that no evidence has been found yet to back the allegations and that in an unconfirmed incident a Guantanamo prisoner was found desecrating the Quran.
At Friday’s briefing, Mr Boucher said the military has already begun an inquiry into the alleged incident. “We have made clear they promised us a thorough inquiry. We have made clear that anyone that was involved in acts like this that violate the military procedures and codes will be held accountable,” he said.
Mr Boucher said the US administration understood why people might be upset at these reports and will investigate them thoroughly, take appropriate action and will hold people accountable as necessary. “The fact that we continue to say these things every day is because we are transparent about this, because we are up front about this. We’ll continue to be up front about this.”
The US spokesman said he did not know what will satisfy the people who are protesting against the alleged sacrilege. “All I know is that we will be true to American principle. We will respect other religions. We will find and punish any errors and mistakes that occurred. And we will do it all in a transparent manner.”
He said he did not know how long the investigation will take but he knew that the military had undertaken this inquiry in “an expedited manner.” Asked if the Taliban and other anti-US forces might also be involved in the protest in Afghanistan, Mr. Boucher said while “there’s sort of local politics involved,” the administration understood that the reported incident might have hurt people’s “genuine feelings” and that’s why it was trying to explain its position and views on this issue as clearly as possible.
When a reporter suggested that representatives of the media from the Muslim countries should be taken to Guantanamo Bay to see the investigation and interview people, Mr Boucher said he will pass on the suggestion to the Department of Defence.
He said the US Embassy in Kabul has informed the State Department that several demonstrations were held in Afghanistan on Friday against the alleged incident and some of them ended in violence. In Pakistan, he said, there were scattered peaceful demonstrations and US consulates in Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore were closed as a precautionary measure.
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