President appeals to pastor not to burn the Koran

As international condemnation of the September 11 protest mounts,

President Barack Obama called the plan a "stunt" and said he hoped the Rev Terry Jones would call it off.

In an interview on ABC's Good Morning America he said the nation was built on principals of "freedom and religious tolerance" and what Jones proposed "is completely contrary to our values as Americans".

"This could increase the recruitment of individuals who'd be willing to blow themselves up in American cities or European cities," he added.

"I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women in uniform who are in Iraq, who are in Afghanistan. We're already seeing protests against Americans just by the mere threat of it."

Pastor Jones, who preaches against Islam, announced in July he would be staging an "International Burn-a-Koran Day" at his church in

Gainesville in Florida.

City officials have refused him a burning permit but are powerless to prevent the protest taking place, protected as it is by the First Amendment of the US Constitution, guaranteeing freedom of speech.

Outside the US, political leaders have joined the chorus of

disapproval, urging the church leader not to go ahead.

In London, Foreign Secretary William Hague last night called the clergyman's plans "selfish and provocative in the extreme".

In a statement, Mr Hague said the plan was "offensive not just to Muslims but to all supporters of religious freedom and tolerance worldwide".

Commons Leader Sir George Young was cheered by MPs when he described the pastor as a "stupid bigot".

In a statement, former Prime Minister Tony Blair – who founded a Faith Foundation to promote understanding between religions – said: "I deplore the act of burning the Koran. It is disrespectful, wrong and will be widely condemned by people of all faiths and none. In no way does this represent the view of any sensible person in the West or any other part of the world."

Euro-MPs have also joined the condemnation, following pleas from the Vatican and the US commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was deeply disturbed by the idea, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel decried it as "abhorrent."

Demonstrations against the planned burning continue to spread throughout the Muslim world.

About 200 lawyers and protesters marched and burned a US flag in the central Pakistani city of Multan, demanding Washington halts the burning of the Muslim holy book.

"If Koran is burned, it would be beginning of destruction of America," read one English-language banner held up by the demonstrators, who chanted "Down with America!"

Hundreds of angry Afghans burned an American flag and chanted "Death to the Christians" in a demonstration yesterday in Mahmud Raqi, the

capital of the Kapisa province some 60 miles north-east of Kabul.

Nato spokesman James Judge said the protest numbered between 500 to 700 people.

Afghan national police prevented the protest from overwhelming an Afghan military outpost and dispersed the demonstration.

Pastor Jones told a press conference on Wednesday evening that he has received encouragement for his protest, with supporters posting copies of the Koran to his Gainesville church of about 50 followers.

He plans to burn the books in a bonfire tomorrow to mark the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on America on September 11 2001.

"As of right now, we are not convinced that backing down is the right thing," said the gun-carrying Pentecostalist.

MPs support keeping troops in afghanistan after historic commons debate

MPs last night backed the continued deployment of British troops in Afghanistan in the first vote of its kind, held almost nine years after the war started.

The historic vote came at the end of the first full day's debate in the Commons on Britain's armed forces in the war-torn country.

MPs voted by 310 to 14, majority 296 to back the motion: "That this House supports the continued deployment of UK armed forces in Afghanistan."

The debate, which comes at a time of continuing violence and deadly attacks against British soldiers, heard criticism of the timetable set by the Government to withdraw combat troops by 2015.

Britain currently has around 10,000 troops in the country and 334 have been killed since 2001, with 89 deaths so far this year.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox said the process of withdrawing combat

troops was "about phasing out not walking out". He said: "What is clear to me, it was clear to the previous government, and what must be clear to our allies in Isaf too is that any drawdown in force levels, as responsibility is transferred to the Afghans, must be done in a coherent way by the alliance.

"This must be done as the international coalition, not as individual nations.

"This is about phasing out not walking out."

Earlier, Ministers were urged to launch an investigation after a Yorkshire MP discovered most of the equipment for British troops is made abroad.

Keighley MP Kris Hopkins urged the Defence Secretary to investigate after discovering that battlefield clothing, socks, combat footwear and waterproof garments are manufactured by companies in China, Lithuania, Germany, Romania, Tunisia and the Czech Republic.