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Military

Soldiers Who Burned Quran To Get Administrative Punishments

Soldiers in Afghanistan
U.S. Army
Soldiers in Afghanistan

The six U.S. soldiers who accidentally burned Qurans they thought were trash will face administrative punishments and not courts-martial, according to the Associated Press.

As Home Post reported earlier, the soldiers apparently misinterpreted an order when they removed Qurans from a storage area and disposed of them in a burn pit at Bagram Airfield. The Qurans had been confiscated from prisoners at Parwan Detention Facility, supposedly because detainees had written extremist messages inside them.

The Associated Press reported the military did not disclose exactly what kind of administrative punishments the soldiers will face:

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[A]nd it was not clear whether the lack of criminal charges would trigger any protests in Afghanistan. Administrative punishments could include demotions, extra duty, forfeiture of pay, or a letter in their file. They could also stall any future advancement and end their military careers.

The Quran burning in February sparked weeks of violent demonstrations in Afghanistan.