U.S. military regrets giving Afghans 'blasphemous' soccer balls - Haaretz

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Wed., August 29, 2007 Elul 15, 5767

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Last update - 10:04 28/08/2007

U.S. military regrets giving Afghans 'blasphemous' soccer balls

By Reuters

The U.S. military in Afghanistan on Monday expressed regret for a publicity campaign aimed at winning hearts and minds that ended up offending scores of Muslims.

U.S. troops on Friday dropped dozens of free footballs for soccer-mad Afghan children from helicopters in an area of southeastern Afghanistan, all marked with flags of various countries.

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But the balls depicted the Saudi Arabian flag, which features the Islamic declaration of faith and includes the names of Allah and the prophet Mohammed.

The idea of kicking something bearing their names is considered deeply offensive to Muslims.

"This ball ... carries a message with it which, like an atom bomb, can cause carnage and insecurity in all parts of Afghanistan," a leading Afghan private daily, Cheragh, said on Monday.

Fawad Ahmad, a shopkeeper in Kabul, said: "Americans themselves create insecurity by ignoring religious sensitivity, it is against Islam.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. military in Afghanistan said the ball distribution was part of a "goodwill humanitarian aid mission ... for the enjoyment of Afghan children".

Captain Vanessa Bowman said the military had been unaware of the sensitivity of the issue.

"We do regret any disturbances caused," she said.

In the past few years Afghans have staged sometimes-bloody protests against the desecration of copies of the Koran by U.S. soldiers at Guantanamo bay, the printing of cartoons featuring Mohammed in Western media and the spiriting-away of an Afghan Christian convert after intervention from Western rulers.

The latest gaffe coincides with rising anger over the deaths of more than 350 civilians this year by Western troops, mostly in southern and eastern areas where the Taliban are largely active.

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1.	Boy oh Boy....	12:20	\|	Jack	27/08/07

2.	Why dont Muslims...	12:29	\|	Jack	27/08/07

3.	Great headline!	12:39	\|	Ovadiah ben Avraham	27/08/07

4.	No good deed goes unpunished	12:40	\|	Lurker	27/08/07

5.	Innocent mistake	12:47	\|	Motic	27/08/07

6.	Serves right american suckers trying to appease the medieval Saud	12:59	\|	Absolute Sweden	27/08/07

7.	To Jack of Germany	13:09	\|	Afghani	27/08/07

8.	To Luker	13:15	\|	Curious	27/08/07

9.	Forget Islamic scriptures , how about a ball with David Star	13:19	\|	Joseph E .	27/08/07

10.	Don`t give the ingrates anything, and they won`t complain...	13:24	\|	Nannette	27/08/07

11.	Are embassies...	13:36	\|	Jack	27/08/07

12.	AFGHANIForeign troops &people of goodwill have been building	14:21	\|	PETER SM	27/08/07

13.	Selective outrage - consider what THEY do	14:42	\|	Raymond from DC	27/08/07

14.	No. 9 is right	14:50	\|	Simon	27/08/07

15.	What a balls up!	15:10	\|	AJ	27/08/07

16.	JESUS OUR LORD WOULD BE BETTER (JUST A SUGGESTION)	15:24	\|	indrajaya	27/08/07

17.	# 7 Afghani	17:05	\|	Lynn	27/08/07

18.	Win Friends, Influence People...	17:07	\|	Knott Bushman	27/08/07

19.	# 8 Curious	17:13	\|	Lynn	27/08/07

20.	#18 Knott Bushman	17:42	\|	* BEN JABO	27/08/07

21.	Indrajaya	17:49	\|	Neal	27/08/07

22.	I hope these were not regulation footballs	17:54	\|	Mark Lincoln	27/08/07

23.	Obsessed	18:12	\|	Tareq	27/08/07

24.	islam is too sensitive	18:14	\|	ross	27/08/07

25.	Absolutely correct Sweden, #6	18:37	\|	Polybios	27/08/07

26.	Reuters is to the BBC like hamas is to fatah	18:53	\|	Chick	27/08/07

27.	luker	03:10	\|	realism	29/08/07

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