The spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan said the burning of Korans by U.S. military personnel was “a mistake and completely unintentional.” The incident has sparked protests all across Afghanistan leaving several wounded and dead. ISAF Spokesman General Carsten Jacobson made these remarks from his base in Afghanistan during a defense department press briefing.
Additionally, Major Gen. David Hook, head of Nato's program for reintegrating Afghan insurgents, provided an update on the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Program, a program that aims to “reintegrate” Afghan insurgents in return for security and employment resources.
The Afghan Peace and Reintegration Program (APRP) is a nationwide program that provides insurgents with an opportunity to peacefully and permanently leave the battlefield and rejoin their communities.
This new program, which works at a local community level, has been designed, implemented, led and executed by Afghans for Afghans. APRP is directed and coordinated at a national level, but reaching out to insurgents and reintegrating them into their communities is carried out at a district and village level.
APRP has received negative criticisms about immunity granted to former insurgents, but reintegrees are not immune from persecution. The decision to prosecute is made on a case-by-case basis by the Afghan government.
Major General David Hook of the British Royal Marines was promoted to Brigadier in 2008 and appointed as Deputy Commander, Regional Command (South) in Afghanistan and deployed in mid-October 2008 for a 12-month tour of duty. He became Director of the HQ ISAF Force Reintegration Cell in Afghanistan in October 2011.
The spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan said today/Wednesday the burning of Korans by U.S. military personnel was “a mistake and completely unintentional.” The incident has sparked protests all across Afghanistan leaving several wounded and at least seven dead. Other topics at this briefing included an update on the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Program, a program that aims to “reintegrate” Afghan insurgents in return for security and employment resources. From the Pentagon, this is about an hour and ten minutes.