PRESIDENT Barack Obama warned that an obscure US Christian pastor’s plan to burn the Koran tomorrow to mark September 11 could provoke al-Qaida suicide bombings, as Asian countries urged Washington to prevent the act.

A US church minister today insisted he will go ahead with plans to burn copies of the Koran in protest at the September 11 attacks despite the top general in Afghanistan warning it endanger American troops.

The top US commander in Afghanistan warned that a US church’s threat to burn copies of the Muslim holy book could endanger US troops and Americans worldwide.

Scores of people gathered in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul today to denounce a US church’s plan to burn the Islamic holy book the Koran.

Thousands of Indonesian muslims rallied outside the US Embassy in Jakarta today to denounce a US church’s plan to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by burning copies of the Koran.