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

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

/ 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

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

[LizFirethorn]

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.

[etech2000]

*** 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.

[v1m]

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...

[Myopinion046]

Obama's right.

[Quantrill13]

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.

[GoodGirlOwen]

"Hate religion"? You're pretty good at spewing hate yourself. No wonder Americans are so hated.

[etech2000]

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.

[Quantrill13]

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!

[kbm8795]

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?

[mrjustice1]

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!

[bestguest]

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.

[jgg000101]

by drbsmithmd September 10, 2010 1:56 PM EDT
Look Mutt, try to focus the 2 brain cells you still have functioning. US troops as well as US tourists are at risk now, just because this idiot with internet credentials wants to burn a Holy book. Holy to you or me? No, but Holy to millions of people world wide. Also , no one has told US soldiers not to return fire. Are you a liar or just stupid?


hey, reptile, the troops and tourists are in danger whether korans are burned or not. And these people aren't going to love us any more as illustrated by photographs taken AFTER the announcement that the burning wouldn't happen. And before calling me a "liar" you should research the rules of engagement for afghanistan, and the "medal of restraint". My 2 brain cells are twice as much as what you have.