Rick Santorum feels that President Barack Obama’s apology to Afghanistan for the burning of Qurans at a U.S. base is misplaced. The GOP Presidential contender says that Afghanistan should apologize to the U.S. for the deaths of American servicemen.
“There was nothing deliberately done wrong here. This was a mistake. Killing Americans in uniform is not a mistake,” Santorum said to ABC News. “Say it’s unfortunate… but to apologize for something that was not an intentional act is something that the president of the United States in my opinion should not have done. I think it shows weakness.”
Christian Post reported that two American officers were shot dead inside an Afghani ministry Saturday in the fifth day of violence over the accidental burning of Qurans by NATO personnel. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the shooting. The protests have seen more than 30 deaths and 200 injuries to this point.
According to CNN, Obama delivered a letter delivered to Afghan President Hamid Karzai called the burning of the material "inadvertent." He wrote, "We will take the appropriate steps to avoid any recurrence, including holding accountable those responsible."
The Associated Press reported that copies of the Quran and other religious items had been tossed into a pit used to burn garbage at Bagram Air Field, a U.S. base north of Kabul.
The U.S.-led coalition has withdrawn its personnel from Afghanistan’s ministries. Karzai said the American apology should be accepted, but wants the U.S. servicemen who burned the Muslim religious material prosecuted.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “It was the right thing to do to have our president on record as saying this was not intentional, we deeply regret it.”
Afghans look at the Quran burnings as disrespect for their culture and religion. Digital Journalreported that Afghani protesters threw a grenade into Bagram and wounded seven U.S. soldiers on Sunday.