US lawmaker creates firestorm with call to bomb holy Muslim sites
Reuters, Washington
A US congressman who suggested the United States might consider bombing Muslim holy sites, including Makkah, has drawn apology demands from US Muslim and Arab groups but rejected a request to meet with one leading organisation.Rep. Tom Tancredo made the comment on July 14 in answer to a radio host's question about a possible response to any hypothetical nuclear terrorist attack on the United States. "If this happens in the United States and we determine that it is the result of extremist fundamentalist Muslims, you could take out their holy sites," the Colorado Republican said. "You're talking about bombing Mecca?" the host asked. "Yeah," Tancredo responded, according to an audio excerpt posted online by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based group. A spokesman for the congressman confirmed the substance of Tancredo's remarks.
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