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Bishop sorry for Taliban comments Bishop sorry for Taliban comments
(10 minutes later)
The new bishop to the Armed Forces has apologised over comments he made about how the Taliban could be admired for their "conviction to their faith".The new bishop to the Armed Forces has apologised over comments he made about how the Taliban could be admired for their "conviction to their faith".
The Right Reverend Dr Stephen Venner said his words had been taken out of context by the Daily Telegraph.The Right Reverend Dr Stephen Venner said his words had been taken out of context by the Daily Telegraph.
"I'm not trying to support the Taliban," he told the BBC. "At the moment what they are doing is evil.""I'm not trying to support the Taliban," he told the BBC. "At the moment what they are doing is evil."
He said he would be "deeply grieved" if anyone had taken offence and hoped he had not jeopardised his job.He said he would be "deeply grieved" if anyone had taken offence and hoped he had not jeopardised his job.
In an interview in Monday's Daily Telegraph Bishop Venner said the attitude taken towards the Taliban had been "too simplistic".In an interview in Monday's Daily Telegraph Bishop Venner said the attitude taken towards the Taliban had been "too simplistic".
He told the paper the insurgents could "perhaps be admired for their conviction to their faith and their sense of loyalty to each other".He told the paper the insurgents could "perhaps be admired for their conviction to their faith and their sense of loyalty to each other".
"There's a large number of things that the Taliban say and stand for which none of us in the West could approve, but simply to say therefore that everything they do is bad is not helping the situation," he told the paper."There's a large number of things that the Taliban say and stand for which none of us in the West could approve, but simply to say therefore that everything they do is bad is not helping the situation," he told the paper.
'Very apologetic''Very apologetic'
But in a BBC interview, he admitted it may have been naive to make such comments.But in a BBC interview, he admitted it may have been naive to make such comments.
"I am not trying to support the Taliban," he said. "Very far from it. I am very supportive of our forces."I am not trying to support the Taliban," he said. "Very far from it. I am very supportive of our forces.
You cannot describe everybody under one heading as Taliban as being equally black, equally evil Bishop Venner
"And if what I've said and the way it's been reported, has caused offence, then of course I'm deeply grieved, and very apologetic, and if that comes under the heading of naivety then I plead guilty.""And if what I've said and the way it's been reported, has caused offence, then of course I'm deeply grieved, and very apologetic, and if that comes under the heading of naivety then I plead guilty."
Bishop Venner said the way the interview had been written up, made his comments look "incredibly insensitive".Bishop Venner said the way the interview had been written up, made his comments look "incredibly insensitive".
He also insisted he had been talking about engaging with the Taliban once the military operation was over.He also insisted he had been talking about engaging with the Taliban once the military operation was over.
"It was one small phrase in quite a long interview, and a phrase that simply said you cannot describe everybody under one heading as Taliban as being equally black, equally evil," he said."It was one small phrase in quite a long interview, and a phrase that simply said you cannot describe everybody under one heading as Taliban as being equally black, equally evil," he said.
"These are human beings and there are some amongst them who could - we don't know - who could perhaps be people with whom at the end of the day we could do business.""These are human beings and there are some amongst them who could - we don't know - who could perhaps be people with whom at the end of the day we could do business."
Bishop Venner had previously been the Bishop of Dover. In addition to being Bishop to the Armed Forces, he will continue his role as Bishop for the Falkland Islands.