Karzai: "Our people’s emotion in this regard is legitimate and respectable"

Sure, uh, it's just the ensuing reaction that has been utterly irrational, murderous, self-destructive, and downright psychotic. "One US soldier killed; Karzai calls for calm in Qur’an protests," by Subel Bhandari for Deutsche Presse-Agentur, February 27 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):

KABUL (dpa): One US soldier and an Afghan protester were killed in the latest violence on the sixth day of Qur’an burning protests criss-crossing Afghanistan, despite another plea for calm by President Hamid Karzai.
Karzai renewed his calls in a televised address on Sunday. He also asked the United States to punish those responsible for the accidental burning of the Koran by US soldiers at Bagram air base.
“Our people’s emotion in this regard is legitimate and respectable,” Karzai said. But while we “share their sorrow, we should all try to keep calm.” [...]

Just in from Ambassador Yoda: "Do or do not, there is no try."

Karzai in the television address called the killing of the US soldiers “unfortunate” and “regretful.”
He said the recalling of the NATO personnel was “a temporary measure”.
“In situations like the burning of the Holy Koran, Afghan people show sentiments, if this was the reason for the recall, it is rational and if there are other security reasons involved, it is then up to them and we do not disagree on that,” Karzai said.
“Later, once the issue (burning of Koran) is determined through proper investigation and once it is established on who was responsible for the crime, the (recall) issue would be resettled.”

Posted by Marisol on February 27, 2012 8:54 AM