DENVER—A religious watchdog group says it will send a copy of the Koran to the Afghan National Army for every one that may be destroyed by the pastor of a small Florida church.
Mikey Weinstein, president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said Wednesday his group would deliver copies of the Koran to U.S. Gen. David Petraeus for distribution. Petraeus has condemned plans by Terry Jones, leader of a Gainesville church that espouses anti-Islam philosophy, to burn copies of the Koran on Sept. 11.
“The people who are doing this are treasonous for putting our soldiers directly in the crosshairs,” said Weinstein, whose group has an Albuquerque mailing address.
Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Kabul, has warned in an e-mail to The Associated Press 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.”
Colorado U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, a Marine Corps veteran and the only member of Congress to serve in the first Gulf war and the Iraq war, also condemned Jones.
“Mr. Jones will have the blood on his hands of those who may die as a result of his actions,” said Coffman, a Republican who sits on the House Armed Services Committee. “Having served in the Iraq War, I know firsthand that Mr. Jones’ actions will lead to higher casualties and increased threat of attack for U.S. servicemen and women.”
