Karzai tries to quell anger over alleged burnings

KABUL, Afghanistan -- President Hamid Karzai condemned the alleged desecration of the bodies of two dead Taliban fighters by US troops yesterday, but he said mistakes happen in war and Afghans shouldn't let it mar their impression of the United States.

His apparent attempt to reduce Afghans' anger came amid warnings by Islamic clerics of a possible violent anti-American backlash.

''Sometimes things happen in these sort of operations, during war. Soldiers make mistakes," he told reporters in Kabul.

But he added, ''We in Afghanistan in accordance with our religion . . . are very unhappy and condemn the burning of the two Taliban dead bodies. I hope such incidents will not occur again."

On Thursday, Karzai ordered an inquiry into television video that purportedly shows US soldiers burning the bodies of the two dead Taliban fighters to taunt other militants. The US military also launched an investigation.

The US military declared the alleged abuse ''repugnant" and vowed to investigate, while the State Department directed US embassies to say such actions do not reflect American values.

Australia's SBS television network broadcast the video purportedly showing soldiers burning the bodies of two suspected Taliban fighters in hills outside Gonbaz village in the southern Shah Wali Kot district.

The video shows a group of about five troops in light-colored military fatigues, which did not have any distinguishing marks, standing near to a bonfire in which two bodies were laid side by side. The flames obscured the view of the bodies, making it impossible to tell whether the remains were of Taliban fighters.

The network said the video was taken by a freelance journalist, Stephen Dupont. Dupont, who told the Associated Press that he was embedded with the Army's 173d Airborne Brigade, said the burnings happened Oct. 1.

Cremating bodies is banned under Islam, and one Muslim leader in Afghanistan compared the video to photographs of US troops abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

''Abu Ghraib ruined the reputation of the Americans in Iraq and to me this is even worse," Faiz Mohammed said from northern Kunduz province.

''This is against Islam. Afghans will be shocked by this news. It is so humiliating. There will be very, very dangerous consequences from this," he said.

Video of the alleged act has not been broadcast in Afghanistan and though the local media has reported on it, many people are not aware of it.

There have been no demonstrations such as the anti-American protests in May that turned violent and killed 15 people over a report -- later retracted -- that US soldiers at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility desecrated Islam's holy book, the Koran.