Petraeus bashes plan to burn Qurans

Top US military commander in Afghanistan has denounced a Florida church’s plans to burn Qurans on September 11, saying it would put the lives of American troops overseas in danger.

General David Petraeus said that the move will be used by the Taliban to boost their image and will drum up anger against US troops.

“It could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort,” Petraeus told The Wall Street Journal on Monday.

“It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems,” Petraeus added.

The Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, says it will burn copies of the holy Quran on church grounds to mark the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

There have been daily demonstrations against the church’s plan in Afghanistan since Friday.

The pastor of the church, Terry Jones, distributed T-shirts bearing anti-Islamic slogans last year.