Obama implores minister to call off Koran burning

GAINESVILLE (AP) - As Florida officials worried about public safety surrounding a small church's plan to burn the Quran, President Barack Obama added his voice to the chorus of opposition to the church's intention to burn copies of Islam's holiest text to mark the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Obama urged the Rev. Terry Jones to "listen to those better angels" and call off his plan to engage in a Quran-burning protest this weekend.

In an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" broadcast Thursday, Obama said what Jones proposes "is completely contrary to our values as Americans. This country has been built on the notion of freedom and religious tolerance."

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said Wednesday he would closely monitor what happens Saturday at the Dove Outreach Center in Gainesville to try to ensure people are safe. U.S. embassies around the world will be doing the same after being ordered by the State Department to assess their security. Officials fear the burning could spark anti-American violence, including against soldiers, a concern shared by the U.S. commander in Afghanistan.

"In addition to being offensive, the Gainesville protest puts at risk those brave Americans who are fighting abroad for the freedoms and values that we believe in as Americans," said Crist, who is running as an independent for the U.S. Senate.

Despite the mounting pressure to call off the bonfire, Jones said he has received much encouragement and was going through with his plan. Supporters have sent him copies of the Quran to burn, he said.

"As of right now, we are not convinced that backing down is the right thing," said Jones, 58, who took no questions at a news conference Wednesday.

USA Today reported that Jones said in an interview he had not been contacted by the White House, State Department or Pentagon. If such a call comes, he said, "that would cause us to definitely think it over. That's what we're doing now. I don't think a call from them is something we would ignore."

At Wednesday's news conference, Jones was flanked by an armed escort and said he has received more than 100 death threats since announcing in July that he would stage "International Burn-a-Koran Day." The book, according to Jones, is evil because it espouses something other than biblical truth and incites radical, violent behavior among Muslims.

Muslims consider the Quran the word of God and insist it be treated with the utmost respect. At least one cleric in Afghanistan said it is the duty of Muslims to react and that could mean killing Americans.

At home, the Gainesville Police Department will be dealing with some 90,000 fans and even more tailgaters expected for the Florida-South Florida football game. The game is at 12:20 p.m. and the Quran burning is set for 6 p.m.

Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe condemned the church's "offensive behavior."

"The Dove World Outreach Center is a tiny fringe group and an embarrassment to our community. They are opposed to Gainesville's true character," Lowe said in a statement.

He asked residents to avoid the church's cross streets on Saturday and to watch for suspicious behavior.

"If you see anything out of the ordinary, no matter how small it might be, report it immediately," he said.

The mayor also urged residents and football fans in town not to do anything to "unnecessarily involve the police."

No one from the department was available to immediately comment late Wednesday on security measures at the church where at least one counter-protest was planned by a University of Florida student group.

Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, e-mailed The Associated Press to say "images of the burning of a Quran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan ’ and around the world ’ to inflame public opinion and incite violence." It comes as an emotional debate continues over a proposed Islamic center near the ground zero site of the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York.

Petraeus spoke Wednesday with Afghan President Karzai about the matter, according to a military spokesman Col. Erik Gunhus.

"They both agreed that burning of a Quran would undermine our effort in Afghanistan, jeopardize the safety of coalition troopers and civilians," Gunhus said, and would "create problems for our Afghan partners ... as it likely would be Afghan police and soldiers who would have to deal with any large demonstrations."

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that the pastor's plans were outrageous, and along with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, urged Jones to cancel the event.

Not just the Democratic administration has weighed in. Ex-Alaska governor and former Republican candidate for vice president Sarah Palin said in a Facebook post that although people have the constitutional right to burn the Quran, doing so would be an "insensitive and an unnecessary provocation ’ much like building a mosque at ground zero."

Conservative radio and television host Glenn Beck wrote in an Internet blog that burning the