September 10, 2010 12:16 PM

Obama on Quran Burning: You "Don't Play Games" With Troop Safety

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
In The News ,
Obama Administration

President Obama called Pastor Terry Jones' plan to burn copies of the Quran a "stunt."

(Credit: AP Photo/John Raoux)

President Obama said today that his administration had an obligation to contact Rev. Terry Jones, the Florida pastor planning to hold a Quran burning, because his plans put troops overseas in danger.

"We've got an obligation to send a very clear message this kind of behavior threats of action puts our young men and women in harms way," Mr. Obama said at a White House press conference today.

Jones planned to burn piles of the Muslim holy book to mark the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He announced yesterday that he called off the burning after hearing that the controversial Islamic community center planned to be built near Ground Zero in New York would be moved to a different location. However, he later said he was reconsidering the burning now that it's clear there are no plans to move the Islamic center in New York.

Mr. Obama also said today that he wants to "make sure we don't start having a bunch of folks across the country think this is a way to get attention."

He continued, "This is away of endangering our troops... who are sacrificing for us to keep us safe. You don't play games with that."

Mr. Obama, as well as other leaders like Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Gen. David Petraeus, had given public statements in recent days condemning the burning. Yesterday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates directly called Jones to urge him to call it off.

The president said today, however, "I hardly think we're the ones who elevated this story. But in the age of the Internet [the burning is] something that can cause us profound damage around the world, so we've got to take it seriously."

Mr. Obama noted that the planned Koran burning has already sparked riots and protests in Afghanistan.

The event is "is contrary to what this nation was founded on," the president said. He added he hopes Jones "prays on it and refrains from doing it."

More from the press conference:

Obama: Economic Recovery 'Painfully Slow'
Obama: "Fair" to Say I Haven't Fostered Cooperation in Washington
Obama on Afghan Corruption and the Hunt for Osama Bin Laden
For Obama, Stimulus is a Four-Letter Word
Elizabeth Warren Gets (Vague) Support From Obama
With Key GOP Vote Secured, Obama Urges Senate to Pass Small Biz Bill
Austan Goolsbee Tapped As Top Economic Adviser
Obama: Americans Shouldn't Turn on Each Other
Obama: It's Not Us Vs. Them -- "It's Just Us"
Obama: We've "Fallen Short" on Closing Gitmo


Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com. You can read more of her posts here. Follow Hotsheet on Facebook and Twitter.


Add a Comment See all 34 Comments
by LizFirethorn September 11, 2010 1:33 PM EDT
Terrorists are criminals - period.
This is the fact on which Americans need to stay focused, not creating more propaganda and more drama with petty demonstrations.
There is no doubt that building an Islamic Community Center/mosque at ground zero is in very poor taste
and no doubt that burning the Quran in protest is also in very poor taste. Both should publicly cease and desist. The issue is not religion, it is murder.
Reply to this comment
by etech2000 September 10, 2010 7:20 PM EDT
*** YOU OBAMA - The debate became so heated that President Barack Obama felt the need to remind Americans: "We are not at war against Islam." It's all about location location location and it being a slap in the face of the 911 victims and families. BURN YOUR QUARANS IF YOU GOT THEM AT 8:46 A.M. It's also about they can burn our Flag and Holy Bibles but you Mr President do not respect our rights to demonstrate our freedoms of feelings and emotions.
Reply to this comment
by v1m September 10, 2010 7:09 PM EDT
While US troops collect fingers for sport in Afghanistan, the president pretends to care about Muslim sensitivities. And asks a lunatic Florida redneck to "pray on" whether he should inflame the world's largest religion.

Meanwhile, the Muslim torture victim whose ***** was cut with a razor at the USA's behalf is told by a federal court he can't sue Washington. Obama, not worried about Muslim sensitivities over genitals, has played the "national security" card.

Another beautiful day in the lunatic asylum...
Reply to this comment
by cleantheDCcesspool September 10, 2010 4:45 PM EDT
The first person to offer the theory that burning korans would put our troops in greater danger? The Imam behind the ground zero mosque.

So now, it appears that obamao is getting his talking points from radical muslims. Interesting, no?
Reply to this comment
by Myopinion046 September 10, 2010 3:36 PM EDT
Obama's right.
Reply to this comment
by Quantrill13 September 10, 2010 2:48 PM EDT
So you think Imam Obama is thinking of "troop safety" when he sends his drones out to find and kill those nasty Muslims? This bull crap is just that, smoke and mirrors, when Obama tells us that burning a few lousy Muslim so-called, "holy books" will make the Muslim world mad and start an all out war with America. They have already started it! The Muslim world kills anything that does not believe their way. Google "MUSLIM CRUSADES" and you will get the shock of your life! Do your own research into this hate religion.
Reply to this comment
by GoodGirlOwen September 10, 2010 5:47 PM EDT
"Hate religion"? You're pretty good at spewing hate yourself. No wonder Americans are so hated.
by etech2000 September 10, 2010 7:25 PM EDT
I agree, hey good girl go to Iran or Afghanistan and see how well they accept you. I bet you do not keep your head attached very long.
by Quantrill13 September 10, 2010 2:40 PM EDT
Yup! We had better do what the Imam Barry H. Obama demands us to do, or his foot soldiers will come knocking at your front door with their dark sun glasses on!
Reply to this comment
by kbm8795 September 10, 2010 2:31 PM EDT
All of this free publicity for this "religious" clown. The media hype for this circus has been and outrageously display of irresponsibility.
Of course, in the midst of all this media frenzy, have we seen this story yet on the major networks?:

?Westboro Baptist Church, the small Topeka, Kan., church that pickets funerals of American soldiers to spread its message that God is punishing the country for being tolerant of homosexuals, has vowed to hold a Quran burning if Gainesville?s Dove World Outreach Center calls its off.

?WBC burned the Koran once ? and if you sissy brats of Doomed america bully Terry Jones and the Dove World Outreach Center until they change their plans to burn that blasphemous tripe called the Koran, then WBC will burn it (again), to clearly show you some things,? the church announced in a news release this week.

-snip-

Dove World is one of the few groups to join forces with Westboro members, who have protested at funerals across the country.

In April, a handful of Westboro members picketed outside of the University of Florida Hillel, the Jewish student center, and Trinity United Methodist Church, and Jones and about 30 members of his congregation joined the WBC members outside of Trinity United.?

http://www.ocala.com/article/20100909/ARTICLES/100909743/1412?Title=Westboro-Baptish-Church-to-burn-Qurans-if-Dove-doesn-t

So the entire world gets into an uproar because of some clown leader of some small "church" which is an ally of the looney-tune Westboro Baptists?
Reply to this comment
by mrjustice1 September 10, 2010 2:25 PM EDT
OBAMA'S WEAKNESS AND APPEASEMENT POLICIES
ENCOURAGES ANTI-WESTERN ACTS BY FASCISTS

Obama set up the stage for a huge amount of further conflict, by his support for terrorist nations, and murderous terrorist organizations - particularly Iran, Hamas, Hezbolla, Islamic Jihad, etc.

By Obama's appeasement of Islamic encroachment, various Moslem extremists now EXPECT more concessions by the West, thereby weakening any resistance to imposition of Islamic Law - inch by inch and country after country!
Reply to this comment
by bestguest September 10, 2010 2:18 PM EDT
it's ok obama you can just go on your world wide apology tour like you did before, and get in the good graces with everyone else.
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