Col. from Afghanistan: Burning Qurans a 'slippery slope'

Col. Anthony Rojek speaks to Bay News 9 via Skype from Kandahar, Afghanistan.

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Now that the Quran burning event has been called off, Afghans don't know what to think, says retired Army Lieutenant Col. Anthony Rojek, speaking to Bay News 9 via Skype from Kandahar, Afghanistan.

"They're not quite sure of the accuracy of the report," he said.

Rojek said the idea of Qurans being burned was very unpopular and had an effect on efforts there. He said convoys have been pelted with rocks and trust has been lost.

"It's having an effect, when convoys stop in a village to talk to people, the people who were neutral before are pulling back a little bit," he said. "The Afghans who were neutral are less cooperative until something is resolved."

However, Rojek said he hasn't seen any American flags being burned.

He said if the Qurans aren't burned, he estimates a short recovery period. But if the Quran is burned, then it can potentially sway the Afghans who were neutral or even pro-American to the other side.

"Those people who were neutral can easily be moved to the other side of the fulcrum and fall in with the Taliban and say 'well, yeah, all Americans are the same, it's an anti-Islamic effort, we're Islamic in belief so they're against us,'" Rojek said. "It's a slippery slope."

As for the Ground Zero mosque connection, Rojek said from reports he's heard, it's not as contentious as an issue as some people want to make it.

"So, for the reverend to use this as a leverage point, they see that as being very unfair," he said.

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