Well, I guess this makes Terry Jones right.

“KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Violent protests over the burning of a Koran in Florida flared for a second straight day, with young men rampaging through the streets of this southern capital, flying Taliban flags and wielding sticks.

Nine people were killed and 81 injured in the disturbances, all from bullet wounds, according to Abdul Qayoum Pakhla, head of the provincial health department. One of the dead was a police officer. Kandahar has long been the heartland of the Taliban insurgency but has been relatively quiet in recent months since a surge of additional American troops arrived here.

The protests here came a day after a mob overran the headquarters of the United Nations in Mazar-i-Sharif Friday, killing 12 persons, seven of them international staff. The mob gathered after three mullahs at Friday Prayer urged action in response to the Koran burning by a pastor, Terry Jones, in Florida on March 20.”

Jones you’ll remember caused a fuss last year by threatening to burn a Koran on the anniversary of Septemember 11th. You know, when the Peace of Islam came to America shores?

In any case Jones held a mock trial on the Koran at his church and burned a Koran afterwards. Nobody noticed until corrupt ole Hamid Karzai got involved.

“Both Afghan and international news media had initially played down or ignored the action of Mr. Jones, the Florida pastor. This Thursday, however, President Hamid Karzai made a speech and issued statements condemning the Koran burning and calling for the arrest of Mr. Jones for his actions. On Friday that theme was picked up in mosques throughout Afghanistan.

There is no provision in American law for arresting anyone for burning a Koran, or for that matter a Bible, which the courts would consider protected free speech.

“Karzai brought this issue back to life, and he has to take some responsibility for starting this up,” said a prominent Afghan businessman, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of concern over retribution if he was publicly critical of the president.

“Karzai’s speech itself provoked people to take such actions,” said Qayum Baabak, a political analyst in Mazar-i-Sarif. “Karzai should have called on people to be patient rather than making people more angry.”

I don’t necessarily condone “stroking the fires”. Frankly I wouldn’t like it if someone just burned a Bible in protest of Christianity. Then again the media would pay no attention to that. Christians are not known for storming embassies and beheading people because they disagree with their theology.

But Jone’s basic argument of the danger of radical Islam it would appear is vindicated now.