FBI agents visit Florida church over Quran burn

[Hanoi Roxx]

FBI agents visit Florida church over Quran burn

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100909/ap_ ... burning_52

Super long article, won't post it all

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – FBI agents visited Thursday with a minister of a small Florida church that plans to burn the Quran on Sept. 11, as public safety became a paramount concern and President Barack Obama added his voice to the chorus of opposition.

Elsewhere, hundreds of angry Afghans burned an American flag and chanted "Death to the Christians" to protest the planned burning of Islam's holiest text.

Obama urged the Rev. Terry Jones to "listen to those better angels" and call off his plan.

In an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America," 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."

The FBI spent about a half hour talking with Jones, but church spokesman Wayne Sapp would not disclose what they discussed. Agents leaving the church wouldn't talk to an Associated Press reporter.

Jones said earlier this week that agents have visited him twice since he announced his plans in July, the last visit about two weeks ago.

Jones will make a statement later Thursday that will address the FBI visit and the president's statement imploring him to cancel the burning and calling it a "stunt," his spokesman said.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said 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.

"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.

The international police organization Interpol issued a global alert to its 188 member-countries determining "strong likelihood" of violent attacks if the burn goes forward. Interpol said in a statement that Pakistan's interior minister, Rehman Malik, called the organization and asked it to warn other police forces around the world of an increased terror threat.

In Afghanistan, local officials in Mahmud Raqi, the capital of the Kapisa province some 60 miles northeast of Kabul, estimated that up to 4,000 people protested the planned burning. But NATO spokesman James Judge said there were between 500 to 700 people. Judge added that the Quran burning is "precisely the kind of activity the Taliban uses to fuel their propaganda efforts to reduce support" for coalition forces.

Despite the mounting pressure to call off the bonfire, Jones said he has received much encouragement and supporters have sent him copies of the Quran to burn.

"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.

Jones said in an interview with USA Today that 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.

In Gainesville, police will already be dealing with some 90,000 football fans Saturday and even more tailgaters for the Florida-South Florida game.

Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe condemned the church's plans and asked residents to watch for suspicious behavior. At least one counter-protest was planned by a University of Florida student group.

City officials were increasing security, but wouldn't go into detail about how many extra officers will be used, saying only that they were coordinating with other cities and tallying expenses.

"We are sending a bill for services to the Dove World Outreach Center. We're tracking our costs," said city spokesman Bob Woods. "I'm sure the cost will be substantial."

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.

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.

[LitaJett]

Good, they need to be watched and monitored as a hate group just like The Westboro Baptist Church is.