Bible quotes placed on troops' weapons

Militaries around the world, including Canada's, were caught off guard by the news that U.S. manufacturer Trijicon of Wixom, Mich., had put biblical citations on many gunsights in use by forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In a statement released Thursday, Trijicon of Wixom, Mich., said it will voluntarily stop stamping references to Bible verses on combat rifle sights.

One type of Trijicon gunsight has raised markings saying simply JN8:12. That is a reference to the Book of John, Chapter 8, verse 12.

In the King James Version of the Bible, that citation reads: "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, 'I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.'"

Another Trijicon sight has the inscription 2COR4:6, a reference to the passage from Corinthians Book 2, Chapter 4, verse 6: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

Until recently, military leaders were unaware of the significance of the abbreviations.

But since their meaning has become known, Trijicon has been facing a growing backlash from the countries it has supplied with the sights. Military leaders have raised concerns that the inscriptions could provide propaganda ammunition for Islamic insurgents.

Maj. Doug MacNair, a spokesman for the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, said the organization has a limited number of the sights with the references. CANSOFCOM includes the Ottawa-based Joint Task Force 2 special forces unit and the Canadian Special Operations Regiment from Petawawa. Both units are in Afghanistan.

For security reasons, Canada won't release the number or type of Trijicon sights it has.

MacNair said: "Like our allies, we consider the biblical inscriptions to be inappropriate. We'll move as quickly as possible to rectify the situation."

CANSOFCOM technicians are looking at how to remove the inscriptions without damaging the sights. Those gunsights being used by special forces in the field would also be dealt with in some way, but CANSOFCOM has to ensure that, whatever solution is found, the soldiers continue to have access to the equipment.

"You do want to move as quickly as you can while not jeopardizing mission effectiveness," MacNair said.

-- Canwest News Service, with AP files

The war on terror

TORONTO -- A member of the Toronto 18 terrorist group who allegedly spoke of unleashing a "weapon of mass destruction" in the city's downtown core was found guilty Thursday by an Ontario Superior Court judge.

Shareef Abdelhaleem, 34, who the Crown alleged was a key figure in a 2006 bomb plot, was found guilty of participation in a terrorist group and intent to cause an explosion in association with a terrorist group. The Toronto 18 terrorism scheme involved detonating powerful truck bombs at the Toronto Stock Exchange, the CSIS regional office and a military base between Toronto and Ottawa.

"ö "ö "ö

KABUL, Afghanistan -- NATO's top commander in Afghanistan plans to tighten the rules on night raids on private homes, even if it means losing some tactical advantage, to curb rising public anger. Nighttime raids on private homes have emerged as the Afghans' No. 1 complaint after Gen. Stanley McChrystal limited the use of airstrikes and other weaponry last year.

"ö "ö "ö

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Canadian soldiers struggling to contain the Taliban insurgency in southern Afghanistan killed four civilians last year, according to military figures obtained by The Canadian Press. The deaths occurred when the soldiers felt compelled to open fire during what is known as an escalation of force.

-- From the news services

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 22, 2010 A18