Quran burning in Florida spurs Afghanistan deaths

Afghans angry over the burning of a Quran at a small Florida church stormed a U.N. compound in northern Afghanistan on Friday, killing seven foreigners, including four Nepalese guards.

The protest began peacefully when several hundred demonstrators gathered outside the United Nations compound, choosing an obvious symbol of the international community's involvement in Afghanistan to denounce the Quran burning.

The demonstration turned violent when some protesters in Mazar-i-Sharif seized the guards' weapons and started shooting. Then the crowd stormed the building and set fires that sent plumes of black smoke into the air, officials said.

Among the dead were Joakim Dungel, a 33-year-old Swede who worked at the U.N. office, and Lt. Col. Siri Skare, a 53-year-old female pilot from Norway. The guards were from Nepal. Four protesters also were killed.

The topic of Quran burning stirred outrage among millions of Muslims and others worldwide after the Rev. Terry Jones' small church, Dove Outreach Center, threatened to destroy a copy of the holy book last year.

The pastor backed down, but the church in Gainesville, Fla., went through with the burning last month.

Other demonstrations, which were peaceful, were held in Kabul and Herat in western Afghanistan, fueling resentment against the West.

Protesters burned a U.S. flag at a sports stadium in Herat and chanted "Death to the U.S." and "They broke the heart of Islam."

The church's website states that after a five-hour trial on March 20, the Quran "was found guilty and a copy was burned inside the building."

A picture on the website shows a book in flames in a small portable fire pit. The church on Friday confirmed that the Quran had been burned.

In a statement, Jones did not comment on whether the church's act had led to the deaths. Instead he said it was time to "hold Islam accountable." Last year, Jones said he wanted to move his church to Tampa, Fla.

President Barack Obama condemned the attack and underscored the importance of the U.N.'s work in Afghanistan.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the burning of a Quran in Florida is contrary to Americans' respect for Islam and religious tolerance. "This is an isolated act done by a small group of people and ... does not reflect the respect the people of the United States have toward Islam," he said.