Obama: Burning Quran is 'recruitment' for al-Qaida

WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama warned on Thursday that a Florida pastor's plan to burn copies of the Quran is being used as an al-Qaida recruitment tool and he urged the minister to reconsider his decision.

"This is a recruitment bonanza for al-Qaida," Obama told reporters. "You could have serious violence in places like Pakistan or Afghanistan. This could increase the recruitment of individuals who would be willing to blow themselves up in American cities or European cities."

Terry Jones, the minister of a Protestant church of about 30 members in Gainesville, Florida, is planning to burn copies of the Islamic holy book on Saturday, the ninth anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks on New York and Washington.