America's enemy is Qaeda, not Islam:Obama

President Barack Obama is appealing for religious tolerance, reminding Americans that the "overwhelming majority" of Muslims around the world are peace-loving people.

They include millions of "our fellow citizens in this country" who are our friends, neighbors and co-workers and attend school with our kids, Obama said.

Obama asked what it would say "when we start acting as if their religion is somehow offensive."

He said it's important to be clear on who the enemy is al-Qaeda and extremists, not Islam or the majority of Muslims.

Obama's comments at a White House news conference came as a Florida pastor threatened to burn Qurans on Saturday, the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Debate is also raging about an Islamic center in New York.

Obama also called on Americans to observe religious tolerance, following a spate of controversies over Islam's place in U.S. society.

"We have to make sure that we don't start turning on each other," Obama said.

"And I will do everything that I can as long as I'm president of the United States to remind the American people that we are one nation under God and we may call that god different names, but we remain one nation."

The controversies have raised fears of an anti-Muslim backlash in the United States, even as they have stirred anti-U.S. sentiment in the Muslim world.

Thousands of people took to the streets across Afghanistan on Friday, some threatening to attack U.S. bases. One protester was shot dead and several were wounded outside a German-run NATO base in northeast Afghanistan. Demonstrations later spread to the capital, Kabul, and at least four other provinces.

Obama acknowledged that "at a time when the country is anxious generally and going through a tough time, then fears can surface, suspicions, divisions can surface in a society."

"I think it is absolutely important now for the overwhelming majority of the American people to hang onto that thing that is best in us -- a belief in religious tolerance, clarity about who our enemies are.

And I will do everything that I can as long as I'm president of the United States to remind the American people that we are one nation under God and we may call that god different names, but we remain one nation

US President Barack Obama

U.S. president says such acts endanger American troops

Obama also said the burning of Qurans on U.S. soil could deeply harm the United States abroad.

"This is a way of endangering our troops, our sons and daughters .... you don't play games with that," he told a news conference in Washington.

"It is in the age of the Internet something that can cause us profound damage around the world, so we have to take it seriously," Obama added.

Obama was responding to a question from a reporter about a direct phoned appeal made on Thursday by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to Jones asking him not to go ahead with the Koran burning.

"My hope is that this individual prays on it and refrains from it (burning the Qurans)," the president said.

Florida pastor sets imam deadline on mosque talks

Terry Jones, who is the head of the Dove World Outreach Center, withdrew his threat to set fire to 200 Qurans after claiming an agreement had been reached to move the New York mosque. The imam responsible for the New York center, however, said there was no agreement.

Jones also gave the New York imam a two-hour deadline to clarify whether talks on moving a planned mosque further from Ground Zero will take place.

"We have a challenge to give to the imam in New York," Jones told a press conference outside his church in Gainesville, Florida, as confusion reigned on whether he planned to press ahead with Koran burning.

But the imam in charge of the project, Feisal Abdul Rauf, swiftly denied there was any such deal, and has not confirmed that he planned to meet Jones to discuss the issue in New York on Saturday.

"There is a confusion going on so we want to clear that confusion. For imam Feisel, the challenge is crystal clear... has he agreed to meet with Pastor Terry," said fellow evangelist, K.A Paul.

"We want to know, and we want to ask the media you can also contact him and find out if he has agreed to move the mosque from Ground Zero to another location."

The two men gave out two telephone numbers to be contacted and said the deadline would expire around 3:20 (1920 GMT).

The Florida pastor, who said Jesus would approve of his plan for "Burn a Koran Day" as a reprisal for Islamist terrorism, has said he will fly to New York later on Friday.

However, the New York imam said that no meeting planned with Florida pastor, but he is open to seeing anyone committed to peace

There is a confusion going on so we want to clear that confusion. For imam Feisel, the challenge is crystal clear... has he agreed to meet with Pastor Terry

Fellow evangelist, K.A Paul

Obama admits he has ‘fallen short’ on Guantanamo

Obama acknowledged Friday his administration had "fallen short" in its aim to close the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as he again stated his intention to close the facility.

"It's not for lack of trying. It's because the politics of it are difficult," insisted Obama at a White House press conference.

"We have succeeded on delivering a lot of campaign promises that we made. One where we have fallen short is closing Guantanamo. I wanted to close it sooner. We have missed that deadline," he said, referring to the January 22, 2010 date set -- a year after he took office -- by when he had hoped to close the facility.

On the eve of the September 11, 2001 anniversary, Obama was asked of the fate of the remaining Guantanamo inmates including five men accused of having a hand in the devastating attacks on New York and Washington, including alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

"We should be able to lock them up and make sure that they don't see light of day. We can do that. We have done it before," Obama said, adding: "We've got people who engage in terrorist attacks who are in our prisons, maximum security prisons all across the country."

He also acknowledge, however, the issue of moving detainees from the prison to the U.S. mainland had "generated a lot of political rhetoric" and said portions of the American public were "understandably... fearful."

"I've also said that there are going to be circumstances where a military tribunal may be appropriate," Obama added, saying any moves must be made on an agreement between Democrats and Republicans on how to prosecute detainees under the "standards of due process, consistent with our constitution."

One of the clearest reasons, Obama argued, for closing Guantanamo was Al-Qaeda continuing to cite the prison camp as a reason to attack the United States.

"There is no reason for us to give them that kind of talking point when, in fact, we can use the various mechanisms of our justice system to prosecute these folks, and to make sure that they never attack us again," he said.