Quran burning: Troops to be disciplined, but not prosecuted, officials say

GlobalPost

US troops who burnt Qurans and urinated on corpses in two separate incidents in Afghanistan this year will be disciplined by the military but not prosecuted, officials announced.

The US military said Monday that the six Army soldiers received administrative punishments for their desecration of 100 Qurans earlier this year, which could include reduced rank or forfeiture of pay. 

While they will not face criminal charges, NBC News reported that the punishments will "likely end their military careers." 

The Marine Corps also announced in a separate statement that three Marines who urinated on the dead bodies of Taliban insurgents were also being punished, the Associated Press reported.

The Corps dismissed discipline of a Marine involved in the burning of the religious texts, which US officials have repeatedly called unintentional, and said it will announce actions against additional troops who participated in the urination incident at a later date, Al Jazeera reported

Afghans were infuriated over the actions of American soldiers, and Afghan President Hamid Karzai earlier called the Marine's actions "inhuman," Reuters reported. He had also demanded a public trial for the soldiers over the Quran incident. 

Karzai's spokesman Aimal Faizi said the President would look over the decisions and respond later on Tuesday, according to Al Jazeera. 

More from GlobalPost: Quran-burning troops face discipline, not criminal charges

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