White House decries Quran burning

WASHINGTON (AP):

The White House said yesterday that a Florida church's threat to burn copies of the Muslim holy book could endanger United States (US) troops abroad, while the State Department denounced the idea as "un-American" and said it would put American diplomats and travellers at risk.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs noted that the US commander in Afghanistan has warned that images of a burning Quran would be used by extremists to incite violence in Muslim countries.

"Any time activity like that puts our troops in harm's way would be a concern to this administration," Gibbs told reporters.

At the State Department, spokesman P.J. Crowley took a tougher line, saying the administration hoped Americans would stand up and reject the church's plan to burn copies of the Quran to mark the ninth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks. He called the plan "un-American" and "inconsistent" with American values.

"We think that these are provocative acts," Crowley said. "They are disrespectful, they're intolerant, they're divisive. ... We would like to see more Americans stand up and say that this is inconsistent with our American values. In fact, these actions themselves are un-American."

Crowley called the announced plan "a divisive potential act of disrespect of one of the world's great religions. And, while we support (and) defend our freedoms, including freedom of expression, this is an action that has potential serious ramifications."

Crowley said US diplomats already had reported small-scale demonstrations against the Quran burning in several countries "where anxiety levels are building because of the publicity surrounding this proposed action. It does put the lives of ordinary Americans at risk, as well as diplomats, as well as soldiers", he said.

The Christian minister who is organising the Quran burning says he will go ahead despite the government's objections. Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Centre, a small, evangelical Christian church with an anti-Islam philosophy in Gainesville, Florida, said he had gotten more than 100 death threats and has started wearing a pistol on his hip.

The Christian minister who is organising the Quran burning says he will go ahead despite the govt's objections.