Quran burning plan on 9/11 draws Clinton's fire

GAINESVILLE, Florida - An evangelical pastor insisted his plans to torch the Quran would go ahead after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the act as "disgraceful".

The leader of the little known church found himself in the eye of a rapidly swirling storm on Wednesday with several Muslim and world leaders deploring his plans as fanning flames of intolerance, as well as Muslim hatred of the United States.

Clinton was the most senior US official to speak out against the burning scheduled for the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, saying she was "heartened by the clear, unequivocal condemnation of this disrespectful, disgraceful act that has come from American religious leaders of all faiths."