The apple of Islam fell where the tree of Chrisianity dropped it.

Backhouse,

Do you honestly think an apology is going to make anything better or protect our soldiers from those maniacs?

Not a Gingrich fan in any way, shape, or form, but I gotta agree with him on this one. This horrific, incomprehensible crap will only persist as long as we are there. An apology is a joke.

What the hell are we still doing there? Doesn't anyone in Washington pick a history book and understand the utter futility of the West trying to impose its will in that part of the world? An Afghan SOLDIER shot two American soldiers (you know, those kids from next door? The ones with names, somebody's son/brother/friend) over a book.

Is ANYONE @!$%#ing paying attention?

GET OUR GUYS OUT OF THERE AND GOOD LUCK, KARZAI.

Newt: "Obama is oppressing the rights of the religious!"

Newt: "Obama should give his thumbs up to oppressing the rights of the religious... as long as they're NOT Christians!"

What an idiot.

Mark, it may not stop it but it might keep it from getting worse.

Does Pres. Obama dress left or right? Doesn't matter; Newt would criticize him either way.

I will say something I rarely say - Gingrich is right on this. This whole thing is absurd and Obama was wrong to apologize and should be impeached if he allows anyone to be put on trial for what as an honest mistake. It is also the height of hypocrisy for any of them to protest this or expect an apology when they routinely do things like burn the bodies of our soldiers and the American flag in clear attempts to inflame passions. Tell Karzai that we will apologize and consider a trial after he apologizes puts every person in his country who has burned an American flag, desecrated the corpse of an American service member, or killed an unarmed American civilian on trial.

It is completely absurd to get so upset over something like this. They put some books in the trash that were defaced with anti-American rhetoric and messages of hate and were no longer needed or wanted. In fact, it was Afghani nationals who actually put the book in the fire, not Americans. The Americans only mistakenly place them in the trash. This was not done as any kind of religious statement or to piss anyone off. since they no longer house large numbers of Muslim prisoners at the base the Korans were no longer needed. As a result they were put in the trash to be disposed of. The laborers on the base then took the trash to be burned as they always do. This was a routine disposal of trash, not some religiously motivated incident.

It is time to stop the nonsense and just pull our troops out. Let these backwards fanatics have their wars with each other and kill each other off. There is no reason to risk any more American lives trying to save them from themselves. Just make it clear that any attacks on American interests coming from the country will result in our carpet bombing the whole place. Maybe if we make it clear that they will all be out at risk if they continue to tolerate the action of the fanatics, they will do something to put an end to the fanatics themselves.

It is also the height of hypocrisy for any of them to protest this or expect an apology when they routinely do things like burn the bodies of our soldiers and the American flag in clear attempts to inflame passions.

ok...Please think about what you are writing. In the Middle East people are extremely poor and ignorant. We are supposed to be a country that is -at least- mostly educated to the point of understanding certain principles and values.

We are always bullying our ways into theirs. They are not coming here to invade us, trying to FORCE us to learn the Quaran.

If we are there, in their country, the least that we can do is respect THE ONLY THING that they consider sacred.

IF WE KNOW that they will KILL THEMSELVES in the name of God, don't you think that we should be a little more careful in the way we approach their religion?

JS, I agree we should be out of there. If they want to fight each other, so what. But you still apologize, especially for mistakes. And it doesn't matter if the other party apologizes for theirs; apologies are unilateral and we've all had to do them at times in our lives.

Irrespond - if you feel the need to kill over a book you have problems.

Or perhaps your life is so pathetic you derive all worth from a book.

Either way it's flat out pathetic.

Or perhaps your life is so pathetic you derive all worth from a book.

If you call "pathetic"the fact of reading books. Yes! I am a pathetic book reader, and I would hate someone like you coming to my house and burning them just because "they are books"

I remember learning to write and read thanks to a BOOK...and other things that you obviously did not because of your pyromaniac abilities.

" don't you think that we should be a little more careful in the way we approach their religion?"

Screw them and their religion, they all ready killed 2 of our soldiers and were filmed burning our flag.They really respect us. Obama had no right apologizing to them.Let Obama go over there and be their leader because he shows them more respect than he has shown America.

M,

I don't believe it was the Afghani guys burning the BIBLE. How would you respond to that?

We are talking cultural differences, big as well as subtle things, that can be important to mend fences.

I imagine addressing something like this step by step with diplomacy, diplomacy, diplomacy, is the only way through. At this distance, diplomatic relations between the honchos is what is left.

The Afghan war is something that this President did not start, but is working hard to wind down.

Seems only the war-nuts want to keep our soldiers out there.

By all accounts, the current Presidential (R) candidates would like to continue this war - AND start a few more just for good measure.

Spanky,

I dunno, I'd have to hold myself back if someone burnt my first-edition copy of For Whom The Bell Tolls......

We're talking about Mr. 300 Ethics Violations here.

Blingrich has no conscience.

.

backhouse,

Burn all the bibles you want. There's plenty of 'em. Too many, in fact.

Look, I acknowledge (and perhaps understand a bit more than I let on) the enormous cultural differences between us and them. Therein lies my frustration. We approach the Middle East from a Western perspective and expect them to react in a Western fashion. Of course they want democracy! Who wouldn't? We offended them? We'll apologize and it'll all be ok! And so on......

But it just doesn't work that way. We are there not in a diplomatic mission, but a military one. At this point I don't care who got us there and am not interested in pointing fingers - it is irrelevant. When Karzai accepts our money and assistance yet calls for a trial over a koran burning how can we hope to ever make any progress there? Especially realizing the cultural differences - the koran to a muslim is way, way, way more than a bible is to a christian. The koran represents everything we are not to them. Our apologies are useless. Diplomacy was dead there long ago.

I applaud President Obama's moves to scale this intermidable, pointless war back, and will not support any candidate who promotes extending this one or starting any more. I stand by my original post, however.

I'm so sick of our president apologising ---- all the time. He shouldn't be apologising, he should be telling people what to do ---- and if they don't like it ---- deal with them.

You all know I can't stand his policies, but him as a man, the President of the United States ---- if we were together in a place where somebody demanded an apology ---- I would have his back and me and him would take care of business.

GingRICH will never be known as the ugly American, he is over qualified.

CrazyBlogger,

I am familiar with Karzai's background. For a hilbilly I do a lot of reading - a whole lot more than just picking through the Farmer's Almanac when I am sitting in my outhouse wondering how I'm going to evade the sheriff on my next moonshine run. Yeee-haw!

Obama is trying to save American lives...some already lost. With all the ruckus over the Koran last year when that yokel pastor in Florida burned one, I don't understand why the military didn't train officers in issues involving the Koran. Like it or not, it is considered a desecration. That idiot, who incinerated the books, should have known this.

Thanks CB, you too.

M,

Well, can chill and wait and hear the "Rest of the Story' from *non-spin* sources. You do realize President Karzai and our President are talking to each other about this ...don't you?

Neither President did this irresponsible act. They cannot control for every unforseen event. It will work itself out. In the meantime, we can all keep our Hair on.

I am pretty sure it is acceptable to burn an old worn out bible rather than throwing it in the landfill with the ordinary refuse( dirty diapers, banana peels etc.) so what is the acceptable way to dispose of an old Koran or Torah or Bible ? Because like I said pretty sure not absolutely sure...Isn't there ways to dispose of U.S. flags too ? I will try Wikipedia LOL!

backhouse,

We can keep our hair on indeed. I'll look forward to what the LA Times has to say about it tomorrow.

Two more Americans dead in Afghanistan. This needs to stop.

Have a good night.

So killing in the name of a book is good.

Got it.

Funny thing is that particular book supposedly ascribes to peace.

Silly muslims, all self worth wrapped up in a book.

Oh, and killing any and all that disagree.

So Irrespond - if I rip up one of your books you would kill me?

How very progressive. So you'd be leaning forward as you pulled the trigger, right?

It's called Diplomacy.

Until all of our troops are out of there safely and ( short of carpet bombing them ) we should do everything in our power to not give aid , comfort and ammunition to our enemies.

Remember Bush's "hearts and minds " ? .... he tried with cash.

Our current President is trying with words.

Obama did the correct thing in offering an apology. Gingrich can't possibly comprehend that because he is part of the "ugly American" culture that has no respect for other countries, other forms of government, other beliefs, other practices. It's just pathetic that Gingrich is so blatantly inconsiderate. He is a grown man and should know better. Since he obviously doesn't he has no business being president or holding any public office.

Stop citing the Crusades as a sole black-eye on Christianity! My word, learn history.

THe Crusades were a reaction to some 400 years of Mohammedan aggression across the Middle East, Northern AFrica and into southeaster Europe! The first Muslim invaders went on the regional rampage within 25 years of Mohammed's death in 660 AD!! The Christians in Europe turned the other cheek for nearly four centuries before finally standing up to the Muslims.

Hell, the Muslim invaders actually made it to Italy. And, it was the initial bullying invasions of the Muslims that caused the then-Christian areas of Northern Africa around the Mediterranean to be forced to convert to Islam!!!!

All of you people saying, "It's just a book", "Why are they so upset?" need to give your head a splash of cold water or a slap to you own face and wake up. We, as a culture, have known for many years that burning a Koran is offensive to people who believe in that book. We, as a culture that leads in the world, have a responsibility to be sensitive to people of other beliefs in that world, especially when we have our soldiers in their country, for the express purpose of supporting our own interests. What? You people who complain about a necessary apology, you think we are no longer the leading, the most moral and upright nation in the world? So we too, can stoop to bigoted, unthinking responses.

No, I and other liberals say. We do still lead the world. And we should never have leaders like the pretentious, porcine pretender from Georgia, Newt Gingrich, who only want to stir up world wide hate against us. We need an honest, intelligent leaders like Obama, who are willing to admit an obvious wrong done by our citizens and apologize for it. And if you bigoted people on the right cannot accept it as a wrong in and of itself, wake up and admit it's a wrong simply because it is very stupid to burn a Koran, it is against our own interests if you will, since I know selfishness is your main motivation.

The apologies that are most needed today are for Newt Gingrich to apologize to our country for bothering us with his truly ugly personality once again, and the right wing need to apologize for holding America back, and insisting we behave like a third world bully country.

Backwash, your words speak of cowardance. I agree with Mr. Gingrich's statement, obama should quit apologizing to our enemies!

If the President were to announce that tomorrow is Friday, Newt would accuse him of being a commie, out of touch with reality, and captive of the Union of Friday Supporters.

NO doubt Oneiron....He would also call him a kenyan,nazi,marxist,KKK grand dragon,Mexican illegal, and every other flavor...These jokers are unbelievable

Jon, you are perhaps the single, most misguided person I've ever seen here (and I have seen many of your clueless ilk here on MultipleSocialistsNBC). You are so smug in your liberal elitist attitude that we are the only ones in the world that are required to have a sense of responsibility to the human race. You literally make me sick.

We should apologize for accidentally destroying their books only after Karzai publicly beheads the bloodthirsty stone-age thug who deliberately murdered two US soldiers in blatant retaliation for this (after all, we must honor their noble traditions as right minded folks, mustn't we?).

To suggest that our so-called Commander in Chief B. Hussein Obama should apologize and that Newt was wrong for calling BS on BHO's gutless and totally anti-American tact just shows how out of touch that you and your fellow libs are with the real threat that radical Islam poses to freedom in the modern world. God help us and save us from the clueless libs!

Mark in SoCal

Wasn't it Gingrich along with the rest of the Republican Presidential candidates that where ridiculing Obama for bringing our solders home from Iraq? Now Gingrich is claiming he would bring our troops home from Afghanistan? What a bunch of idiots. From what I've heard and read about the books so far is that they where not the Quran but religious books, they could have been any book written in Afghanistan for that matter.

Americans are dead! And obama is apologizing for the burning of books! That's the point folks, our enemies see weakness with his meaningless apologies. Did they help! No.... Meanwhile American's are dying, over books! The annoited one's priorities are whacked!

5th Generation, I am quite happy to be called misguided by you. In fact, it has made my day. Anyone who does not understand the difference between actively being a leader in the world, and accepting the fact that the role has certain responsibilities to rise above petty prejudices and petty arguments and truly lead by example and "we are the only ones in the world that are required to have a sense of responsibility to the human race", is someone that I am proud to be insulted by.

This country used to be the most universally respected in the world. I am tired of that reputation being dragged through the mud by people like Newt Gingrich.

Burn all the bibles you want. There's plenty of 'em. Too many, in fact.

Good to know that Newt and Spanky support Bible burning. What is next, the flag? Oh, I forget Spanky and Newt hate "L"s so we know what they want to burn. Where are the pointed white hats.

.

Stop the Bullsh1t

Stop citing the Crusades as a sole black-eye on Christianity! My word, learn history.

THe Crusades were a reaction to some 400 years of Mohammedan aggression across the Middle East...

Thank you! I have seen these idiots trying to blame Christians for the Crusades in many, many posts lately and was finally to the point of providing a history lesson for them when I read your post...and I'm not even religious. There is only so much ignorance you can tolerate before you have to start educating the idiots! I guess none of them have ever heard of Google. Either that or they chose to ignore what they found since it ruined their opportunity to bash "the other side". Of course, I don't expect it to have much effect. After all, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink!

Thanks again!!!

Backwash, your words speak of cowardance. I agree with Mr. Gingrich's statement, obama should quit apologizing to our enemies!

Are you suggesting our enemies are Afghanistans?

Hey RedDev,

I'm afraid I have to claim the "burn the bibles" quote you attributed to Spanky. I made that statement in response to Backhouse, and made it metaphorically to emphasize my impartiality in regards to religious preference. Had nothing to do with partisan politics.

Mark I don't think spank would advocate bible burning,just bible thumping

No worries Mark, and in defense, it was meant to point the burning of books issue in society. Book burning has been the way to dumb down society and has been employed over the ages. The Spanks of the world would focus on the Christian dogma of burning books and worry about gas prices. I was also commenting on burning flags and fags, again, something something Spanky has a hard time with differentiation. Burning the Quran is an insult, just as burning the bible or the flag, but one that Spanky wouldn't understand.

Fair enough, RedDev.

As a keen bibliophile the burning of any book pains me. But I am also the dad of an Army soldier. My son is no longer in the military but while he was in I met a lot of soldiers and I kinda have a soft spot there. Despite my love of books one book for two American soldiers just made me see red. Nothing political about it.

Maybe all of Newt's remaindered books should be sent over to Kabul where the Afghans can burn them for us or use the pages as fire-starters. He can be assured that they will not wipe their asses with his precious words as they don't wipe their asses period.

There is an established sequence of events here. If no books had been burned, there would be no soldiers dead because of it. That does not excuse the killing, and that was a more tragic act, but as an intelligent people, not ruled by emotional superstitions, we have to understand the consequences of our collective actions (those soldiers are our representatives in Afghanistan). That is the absolute end of this argument. The apology was needed, to argue otherwise is to fall to living by emotional superstition, rather than reason. That has happened too often of late in this country, and that drags us all down.

I don't think anyone was expecting you to catch it, seeing how you openly admit to being a 5th generation Texan, the MS before NBC stands for, say it with me, MicroSoft.

"You are so smug in your liberal elitist attitude that we are the only ones in the world that are required to have a sense of responsibility to the human race. You literally make me sick."

That's curious because the idea he was alluding to is that because we are a more developed nation we should lead by example and act like the more civilized nation rather than following the less civilized nation's example of childish actions. Not apologizing for a committed wrong, accidental or intentional, is childish and when refusing to do could, likely would have, caused more unrest which puts lives in danger it is unthinkable not to. So yes, we have an obligation to handle ourselves appropriately regardless of others sense of obligation because we are ultimately responsible for our actions not theirs.

"To suggest that our so-called Commander in Chief B. Hussein Obama should apologize and that Newt was wrong for calling BS on BHO's gutless and totally anti-American tact just shows how out of touch that you and your fellow libs are with the real threat that radical Islam poses to freedom in the modern world."

You should take a look at the history of our meddling in the affairs of the ME. Anyone with half a brain can do the simple 'If I was in their shoes and they were in mine, how would I feel with this?' and come to the conclusion they would be really pissed off. Now you should do some research on threat estimates and attempted domestic attacks. The Department of Homeland Defense has done multiple reports documenting that we are more at risk for attacks from homegrown rightwing, Christian fundamentalists than we are from both foreign and domestic Islamic radicals combined.

"God help us and save us from the clueless libs!"

Perhaps you should ask God to loan you a consciences and maybe some critical thinking skills for good measure.

@Bill & Ted

Take a pill or seek anger management help because you both have serious issues.

Bill,

as for Muslims being our enemies, stop spouting brainwashed nonsense. Muslims are not our enemies, the radical Islamists like Hamas and the Taliban are. They are on the fringe end of Muslims just like the West-borough Baptist Church is on the fringe end of Christianity.

You and the people with your disposition are the reason there are moderate Muslims that hate us because you are always the ones yelling the loudest in their direction. They are overly exposed to you and our members in Government that also think like you and it has stained their impressions of us along with the decades of regime changes enforced and backed by the US that have now turn into tyrannies.

We need to tear these tyrannies down and then let the people of those countries choose the path of their country for themselves and stay out of the Middle East as nation builders; but not as humanitarians. I do not care if they elect an Islamist as long as they are not a fanatical flavor because it is their choice to do so. If they do elect a fanatical then that is also their choice and their actions will have consequences in the future if they allow their Government to attack others.

People always have the last say in their Governments either by voice or blood. Sooner or later Assad is going to fall just like Ahmadinejad will fall eventually in Iran once his people are pushed far enough by their leaders insane actions.

Hate begets hate, violence begets violence. It takes a bigger man to forgive someone for a hateful act then it does to retaliate against them and only until one side does so can an understanding be reached that can lead to peaceful resolution of differences.

Many people in the USA with your view do not respect Muslims as human beings and that is where the trouble starts and ends at.

Thank you, Ghost, well said.

@Mark in SoCal,

I just wanted to say, that although I disagree with you, your posts are some of the few in agreement with Newt that I find to be well thought out and logical and so I wanted to take a moment to respond.

It may not make it any safer in the immediate future, however, improving relations with the government, and more importantly the people, there can only make it a better situation for our troops in the future. Right now the people of Afghanistan are angry with us because of the many events that have led up to this one (rhetoric here in the U.S., urinating on corpses, citizens killed in bombings, etc) not just this particular event. You can think what you will about each of those issues, but if you look at it from the perspective of the Afghan people their anger is at least understandable, even if their outlet is unjustifiable.

Given that our troops are going to be there for a while longer, no matter how fast we would like to get out, the best path in my mind is to take steps necessary to calm the anger of the people so that more troops are not attacked. This one apology may not do that, but it along with other diplomatic action that I am sure will follow, or is already taking place, will.

In response to the many who have posted that we should not apologize because of the actions of some of the protestors (killing U.S. troops, burning flags, etc); this is an extremely short sided viewpoint. Some of the more extreme posters have even said we should just tell them what to do and force them to do it. I would point out a few issues with this. First of all, as some others have posted, when you are a world leader you sometimes have to suck it up and apologize for mistakes, even if the other side has made worse ones. Our willingness to own up to our mistakes is one of the (many) things that distinguishes us from failed states around the world such as Iran (using "failed state" as it refers to a nation unable or unwilling to take care of it's own people or hold any influence on a global scale).

It is true that we have the military capability to force a weak country such as Afghanistan to submit to our will, however, there are multiple issues with this. First, and most important in my opinion is that we are a freedom loving people and doing that would go against the very fiber of who we are. Second, how many innocent civilians who are just trying to live their lives as best as they can would have to die? Remember, they are also someones neighbors or sons or daughters. Are their lives worth less just because they are not American (Mark I know you did not state this, responding in general to some on the thread here). Further, how long do you think our allies would stand beside us if we began doing this, and more over how long do you think it would be before they brought their combined might against us to ensure we never attempted to do so with them?

With all of the above being true sometimes we simply have to be humble and apologize as is befitting of a world leader, not just a world military power. President Obama understands the long term consequences of our actions and is taking steps to improve our overall world position, and in my mind that is too be applauded.

Who would have ever known that while I was slow skating with girls and the lights low at my home town skating to this song that it would actually become the president's re-election campaign song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGLR25EJtfE

Mark in Cal #1.4 Well said!!! It's way beyond the time to "get the **** out"!

How you respond to this is determined by your ability to walk in someone else's shoes.

"It's just a book" comes purely from a closed-mind perspective, where, to some, it's even less than a book. Walking in someone's shoes has no meaning except that we expect the Afghans to walk in ours, but that's as far as it goes.

But if you step back and look at things from their perspective, it's not too hard to see how and why their anger is directed at us. Just do what we do best, except from their perspective... that is: collect all the negatives that have become public and put them in a pile. It's a big pile.

The only shoes Gingrich can imagine are his own.

Bill Thomas-2852155

Backwash, your words speak of cowardance. I agree with Mr. Gingrich's statement, obama should quit apologizing to our enemies!

You should never apologize to your enemy. I guess you and Gingrich gotta get together and figure out who the enemy is. Obama apologized to our FRIENDS that we inadvertently stepped on while in pursuit of our enemies... VERY appropriate and VERY necessary, especially while we still have our kids over there.

As I said before, idiots are not always wrong, but Gingrich sure seems to be. He couldn't see anything from someone else's point of view if his political career depended on it.

I have to wonder just how far out of touch any of these political want to be's are with the rest of this country / I also have to wonder just how far to the right does this country have to go..before citizens wake up and actually hear what these want to be's are saying and have said over the years . Granted..things today are not great..but..it was a lot worse with Bush in office driving the debt of this nation way up....and huge loss of jobs that went on during his watch. Obama alone can not do it all...we have elected in washington..calling themselves congressmen and women..who have done nothing at all...other than pat themselves on their respective backs while blaming everyone else for their own failures. Republicans were elected three years ago...making claims of creating jobs.....that went out the window as soon as they were elected. These want to be's..calling for more cuts to education scare me....education is the name of the game for this country..and every other country..which, by the way, is investiing in educating their own kids...while we cut way back...why is that ? The middle class...is becoming a has been...it was the driver for this country..now...profits coming from cheap labor in countries that could care less about individuals make nearly everything we use today. We have become beholding to other nations for goods we once made ourselves....our elected in congress have allowed this to happen...we citizens have allowed this to happen...you reap what you sow..and this country will suffer for it in the years to come. If these political want to be's are the best this country has to offer...then this country will fall even further.....

If the government forces of China or another nation ..took a stack of Bibles out and burned them .. would the right wing and Mr Gingrich ask that Government to Apologigize .. or would they say its just a book for goodness sakes

We invaded Afghanistan ... if our country were to be invaded would we just accept the occupation or would we fight back ... Afghanistans people believe they are fighting an invadeing army and they try to protect their beliefs the same as we would ours.

Ivan, great post. So true.

Mr Backhouse can you acknowlege that a military member fired the shot that killed in Laden, Can you. Well Mr Backhouse king obey takes credit for killing Bin Laden. And just yesterday when something was said about his weak policy on Iran Mr. David Analrod once again metioned he killed Bin Laden. He king obey did it not a military man. So, which is it Mr. Backdoor are you a two-faced bigot or does king obey get credit for everything the military does including urinating on the dead enemy. You can't have it both ways, well you can just admit you are a cowardly two-faced bigot who will try and have it both ways, even though we proud conservatives will not let you have it both ways.

First and foremost, the killing of ANY human being over the burning of a religious text is beyond ridiculous and is anathema to the basic tenets of ALL organized religions. The burning of these Korans was a mistake and was not done on purpose. Obama, as the Commander and Chief, of the armed forces , apologized in an attempt to prevent further death of AMERICAN and NATO soldiers. For those of you who are lambasting him for apologizing, you must not care for the welfare of US soldiers & NATO soldiers who are in Afghanistan. The Taliban (not al Qaida) are using this to rally the people against NATO troops so this “advantage” must be diffused by those at the highest levels of command. This should be common sense to you. If an adversary gains an advantage one must find a way to neutralize it as effectively and quickly as possible.

Christianity is atleast as violent as Islam (Spanish inquisition, Salem witch-hunt, Crusades, etc.).How about the violence perpetrated by Timothy Mcveigh (a Catholic)? Or the bombing of multiple abortion clinics that has taken many lives in the US? The killing of abortion doctor George Tiller in a CHURCH while he was attending church? Ah, the ignorance and hypocrisy of you and your ilk is almost tangible. To all devote Christians who believe that the Koran is the only religious text full of hate and murder. Here are some examples of violence and hate within the bible:

For worshipping other gods

If there be found among you ... that ... hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them ... Then shalt thou ... tone them with stones, till they die. Deuteronomy 17:2-5

If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers ... thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die. Deuteronomy 13:5-10

For disobeying parents

If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother ... Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city ... And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die. Deuteronomy 21:18-21

For breaking the Sabbath

They found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. ... And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones.... And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses. Numbers 15:32-56

For cursing or blaspheming

And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him. Leviticus 24:16

For adultery (including urban rape victims who fail to scream loud enough)

If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city. Deuteronomy 22:23-24

For Bill Thomas-2852155: No Bill, book burning is an act of cowardice. Demonstrating empathy for your enemy is an act of strength. Take a look at "The Art of War" sometime.

It's exactly that kind of strength that makes Obama a bigger man that Gingrich.

There are a lot of people here calling the Afghans freaks and saying anyone who kills someone over burning a book is ridiculous.

You just don't get it -- in their culture, burning the holy book is burning the word of God.

These Afghans are just as bad as Christian fanatics that would kill an abortion doctor, or who would support invading an nation(that did not threaten us) and killing hundreds of thousands of people.

I say, put the Christian fanatics and in fact all religious fanatics on the moon. God does not like any of you. Jesus does not support your ugly hatred.

Could you imagine Gingrich in the white house?

Thank goodness we have an adult in the white house right now.

Bob Jones-3591206

I hope to God that you don't represent what's left of the GOP.

Obama gave to order to hunt. He reviewed the intelligence. He decided to go forward even though there was a chance he wasn't there. He and his team were aware and waiting as the action took place. They all high-fived when they got him... THAT's called being involved and getting credit for the kill as the LEADER.

But, yes, as the LEADER, he has to take responsibility for the behavior of a few misguided soldiers, irrespective of them violating orders/policies. He did that.

Newt Gingrich criticized the Obama administration for apologizing to Afghan leaders after Qurans were burned

Blah, blah, blah.

Newt, you dip$#!t. We're in their country. Their house, get it? Burning the books was as classy a move as someone walking into your living room, dropping trou and depositing a steaming load in the middle of your coffee table.

If this had occurred here, it might be a different story. Whether our presence there is military or not - in this scenario, we're guests on their turf. The apology was in order. Newt, you're full of $#!t.

Oh please. If Newt ever told the truth about anything, it would be a miracle. Obamas' apology was nothing more than an attempt at damage control - we still have quite a few Americans in Afghanistan, in case it escaped Newt's attention.

Bob Jones - King Obey? You really proud of that garbage???

President Obama did the right thing in apologizing for a military person burning the Qurans. We are supposed to be the better country. It's important we act better.

Spanky - your comments are predictable. You hate Obama and would side with the devil against him. Oh wait - you did side with Newt! See - my point exactly!

The President of the United States stands as the face of our nation and all of its diplomatic endeavours world wide. Electing somebody such as Mr. Gingrich, who does not demonstrate any of the qualities necessary to be a successful diplomat would be a disaster for our country.

I wonder how the Tea people would react if I burned a copy of Atlas Shrugged? Hmmm...

The right wing nuts are claiming it is a sign of weakness to apologize for a wrongdoing. As in they think this part of the world will think we are weak. I can assure you no Afghan in their right mind thinks we are weak, not when we set up shop in their country, go where we want, when we want and their ain't a damn thing they can do about it. They feel powerless and impotent, which is why they cling to the only thing they have which they feel gives them some control. If an apology helps to take down some of the violence, then what is an apology for an obvious insult, mistaken or otherwise. Weakness is shown, instead by Newt Gingrich, who could not possibly take this symbolic step regardless of the possible lives saved, to "prove how tough he is. Weakness is the inability to stand up for the right thing to do. Of course you God fearing Christians already know this, eh?

....and are all of you so sure it was the American military that burned these books...or could it have been the Taliban out to cause trouble...nah they wouldn't do that...they stone women to death without much thought...and they burn down schools to prevent girls from getting an education, especially one that teaches them that they are more than just another possession...no...the Taliban are far too honorable to be involved in something like this...

....still explain to me again why Afghans, or anyone, would choose to poke around in a burning fire?

With all that is going on here in our nation on this soil this is what Gingrich puts his efforts into?....really?

As usual Gingrich loves to listen to himself talk and this detraction is meant to keep things away from more important topics and of course muddy the waters of discontent...

good stuff coming from a guy who said he would not engage in nasty politics...oh, yeah, and he also wants to fund building a colony on the moon..........wonder if a bake sale will cover the cost?

Try to get back on topic and stay there Mr. Gingrich....jobs, jobs, jobs!....economy, economy, economy!....got any plans?....didn't think so but I'm sure everything that is rolling around in that vivid imagination of yours will make a great book...and maybe with the proceeds you could pay off some of the national debt...keen idea don't you think?.....unless of course you are not as patriotic as you seem....we don't take personal checks--cash only.

muslims killing again?

thom34tum4932

Good, somebody finally stands up to all this libtard ass kissing

You sound like someone that would prefer to have a cowboy, ignorant and proud of it president represent the USA. Maybe you want someone that looks and talks like you.

Relax Little Joe, the world is not the Ponderosa.

The Crazy Afghan's kill our Soldiers, burn our flag and the GOP Tea Retards response is everything is our Presidents fault. What a bunch of losers that think everything that happens in the World is President Obama's fault. "Hum Hum", Wasn't it "W" that got us into this War ? Than I would say it is "W's" fault. "W" and the GOP T-Pugs lied to the American people to get us into Iraq. PS Newt is beyond a jackass.

Obama didn't start the war, the dirtbag that started this War with unfunded funds is at fault, go back to Fox trash and get your next update from the tabloid ?

The reason the Afghan people are so overwrought about this situation is that they have a lot of energy and nothing else to do with their time. Religion is all they care about. This is a very poor country, with few educated people among the poor. The religion-based skirmishes in Belfast, Ireland were similar: many young people with raging hormones, little education and no outlet for their energies. Rather than doing something constructive (few options here), their only choice, they believe, is to make nuisances of themselves and be destructive. They need jobs and education, neither of which the U.S. can provide.

Mozzie, More life's & money, that we don't have. Its time to get out and stop all aid to them and the World, we are broke and going bankrupt. End of story.