STATEMENT FROM U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: COALITION FORCES NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR EXPLOSION AT MOSQUE

An investigation conducted by Coalition forces and Fallujah police into the explosion at the Al Hasan Mosque in Fallujah yesterday has determined that Coalition forces were in no way responsible for the explosion.

The explosion was apparently related to a bomb manufacturing class that was being taught inside the mosque.

Coalition forces continue to be respectful of Muslim tradition by not entering the mosque while continuing to assist Iraqi police with the investigation.

Please note that last sentence.

In a news story covering the same incident:

The U.S. explanation gives credence to reports that Islamic activists are becoming involved in a guerrilla campaign to oust U.S. and British forces, which overthrew Saddam Hussein's government on April 9.

Victims' relatives said the students had gathered at the mosque every night for about a week. The men, in their 20s and 30s, were students at the Islamic Law College at Saddam University in Ramadi, a town farther west along the Euphrates River. The relatives said the students were drawn to the teaching and sermons of Laith Khalil, 35, a preacher at the mosque who, in recent weeks, had called for resistance to drive out forces occupying the country.

Khalil died Tuesday in Baghdad. Hospital officials said six students were killed, although a U.S. military spokesman put the number of dead at 10.

According to COL Tucker who gave us his First Person Perspectives (see entries for July 2d) when the 1st Brigade arrived in Baghdad and began operations EVERY mosque and EVERY school were packed with guns, bombs, missiles, bullets and other ordnance.

So, once again, please note that we do not violate their customs, we do not set foot inside their mosques even though it puts us at a tactical disadvantage.

They know this and they exploit this by turning their "places of worship" into bomb factories and bomb schools.

And WE are the infidels?