CAIR released a statement today demanding that Boeing and Bell Helicopter pull a “Mosque Attack” ad (available in PDF form here) that ran in the National Journal.

Boeing, Bell and the National Journal have apologized:

The ad, coming amid rising concern among Muslims over U.S. military action in Iraq and Afghanistan, prompted immediate complaints from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which demanded the withdrawal of the campaign.

But Boeing, which created the ad with partner Bell Helicopter, said publication was a “clerical error” by the National Journal, which ran the ad on September 24.

“We consider the ad offensive, regret its publication and apologise to those who like us are dismayed with its contents,” said Mary Foerster, vice president at Boeing’s defence unit, in a statement.

The ad “did not proceed through normal channels”, Boeing said, and despite asking for it to be withdrawn and destroyed, was published in error.

The National Journal, a Washington government and policy magazine, admitted it made a clerical error and said it accepted full responsibility in a statement issued on Friday.

“At the very first indication that this ad caused discomfort nearly a month ago, we immediately pulled the creative and replaced it with an alternative ad,” said Bell vice president Michael Cox, in a statement. “Despite our directive to the National Journal to replace the ad, it was not replaced as requested, which resulted in its publication this week.”

Update (Chad):
Commenter PBSwatcher of PBS Watch blog reccomends we post the picture to upset CAIR. While that is certianly not my intention of posting the ad above, I do feel it could add to the discussion.

You can clearly see soldiers assaulting a mosque, but it is also just a sad fact of the current war that terrorists use mosques as bases of operation. Many weapons caches and explosives have been found inside mosques. In Fallujah there were sleeping arrangements for members of Al Qaida in Iraq. Terrorists even fight out of mosques and launch mortars from behind their walls.

While taking down a mosque is not what the Coalition ever intends to do, it is their job to find and eliminate the people who are laying seige upon the Iraqi populace or the Coalition. Personally though on this picture, I understand CAIR’s complaint. That said though, I hardly find it offensive, but then again I rarely ever get offended.

Thanks again to Pbswatcher for providing the image who also notes it’s nothing more than a poor Photoshop job. Heh.

Hyscience linked with Boeing and Bell Become 'Whipped' Dhimmis: Apologize to CAIR