JIHAD WATCH: He could have said, and should have said, that while he disagrees with the idea of burning the Qur'an, he would defend the liberty of Americans and the principle of freedom of expression. He could have said that anyone who murders an innocent person in Pakistan or Afghanistan or anywhere else because of this is entirely responsible for the murder, and Terry Jones and the other Qur'an-burners bear no responsibility for the actions of others. He could have said that to threaten violence and to commit acts of violence because of this is irrational, it's madness -- and, for that matter, it confirms the image of Islam as a religion of violence that Obama himself is so anxious to refute.
Instead, he surrendered American principles and semaphored once again that violent intimidation works. Read on and comment >>> Robert Spencer | Thursday, September 09, 2010