Clinton,Gates Denounce Quran Burn Plan 09/08 12:34

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- The top two national security advisers in President 
Barack Obama's Cabinet on Wednesday denounced plans by a small church in 
Florida to burn the Muslim holy book to commemorate the Sept. 11, 2001 
terrorist attacks, saying it would inflame tensions and put Americans abroad at 
risk.

   Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates 
said the plan was ill-advised and echoed concerns first raised by the U.S. 
commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, who warned that the proposed 
weekend event would place the lives of American troops in jeopardy there and 
elsewhere. U.S. officials in Iraq agreed.

   In remarks to the Council on Foreign Relations think tank in Washington, 
Clinton called the plans "outrageous" and "aberrational" and said they do not 
represent America or American values of religious tolerance and inclusiveness.

   She also lamented that the tiny Dove World Outreach Center congregation in 
Gainesville had gotten so much attention for what she called a "distrustful and 
disgraceful" means of marking the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist 
attacks.

   "It is regrettable that a pastor in Gainesville, Florida, with a church of 
no more than 50 people can make this outrageous and distrustful, disgraceful 
plan and get the world's attention, but that's the world we live in right now," 
Clinton said. "It is unfortunate, it is not who we are," she said.

   Through a Pentagon spokesman, Col. David Lapan, Gates added his voice to the 
growing controversy.

   "No one is questioning the right to do these things. We are questioning 
whether that's advisable considering the consequences that could occur," Lapan 
said. "Gen. Petraeus has been very vocal and very public on this, and his 
position reflects the secretary's as well."

   Petraeus on Tuesday said that "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." In addition, Gen. Ray Odierno, 
the former top commander in Iraq, said Wednesday he feared extremists will use 
the incident to sow hatred against U.S. troops overseas.

   In Iraq, where almost 50,000 American troops are still serving, U.S. 
Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey and the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Gen. 
Lloyd Austin, joined in the condemnation, calling the plan "disrespectful, 
divisive and disgraceful."

   "As this holy month of Ramadan comes to a close and Iraqis prepare to 
celebrate Eid al-Fitr, we join with the citizens of Iraq and of every nation to 
repudiate religious intolerance and to respect and defend the diversity of 
faiths of our fellow man," they said in a joint statement released by the U.S. 
Embassy in Baghdad.

   Despite the widespread condemnation, church Pastor Terry Jones has vowed to 
go ahead with the event.

   Clinton appealed for Jones to reconsider and cancel. And, in the event he 
goes ahead with the plan, she suggested to laughter from the audience, that the 
news media ignore it.

   "We are hoping that the pastor decides not to do this," she said. "We're 
hoping against hope that if he does, it won't be covered as an act of 
patriotism."

   "We want to be judged by who we are as a nation, not by something that is so 
aberrational and we will make that case as strongly as possible."


(CZ)