Reprimand recommended in Koran burning

KABUL, Afghanistan, June 20 (UPI) -- U.S. military investigators recommended disciplinary action for the U.S. troops involved in the burning of Korans at a base in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said.

Officials said one sailor and as many as six soldiers face administrative punishment -- the least severe reprimand -- for their roles in the incident, but none would face a court-martial, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

"The investigation is complete and has been subsequently forwarded to the related services for review and any service-specific actions," an official said.

Senior officers must approve the recommendations, which could include a letter of reprimand and loss of pay, Pentagon officials told the Times.

The investigation determined the Koran burnings in February were inadvertent and the result of the books having been defaced by prisoners attempting to get messages to each other. At least 30 Afghans were killed in protests over the burnings, and officials speculated some of the six killings of U.S. military personnel since then were motivated by outrage over the incident.

Since the incident, the military issued new rules and training on how to properly handle the sacred book of Muslims.