Despite riots that have been going on for over a week in Afghanistan over the accidental burning of the Quran by U.S. forces, President Barack Obama claimed that his apology has “calmed things down.”
Obama’s formal apology to Afghan President Hamid Karzai last week was made in order to protect American troops still in Afghanistan he told ABC News.
“The reason that it was important was to save lives, and to make sure our troops who are there right now are not placed in further danger,” he said.
Those words were hardly reflected in Afghanistan Thursday as two more U.S. soldiers were killed in further retaliation to the burning of the Muslim’s sacred book, according to Reuters.
In at least one of the incidents, the murders were by Afghan security forces, the same ones American and NATO troops have been training for months.
The American death total in response to the burnings is now four, while the NATO total is five.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” said Obama. “But my criteria in any decision I make, getting recommendations from folks who are actually on the ground, is what is going to best protect our folks and make sure that they can accomplish their mission.”
The recent outrage by Afghan citizens towards the American troops stationed there have led many to question the reality of withdrawing American and NATO forces in the coming months.
Obama rejects this theory. “War is a tough business, and never goes in a perfectly good path. But because of the stick-to-it-ness of our teams, I feel confident that we can stay on a path that, by the end of 2014, our troops will be out and will not be in a combat role, and Afghans will have capacity, just as Iraqis, to secure their own country.”