Pentagon asks pastor to pull support of anti-Islam film

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff called a Florida pastor today, asking him to withdraw his support of an anti-Islam online film that may have triggered riots in Egypt and Libya.

A statement from Marine Col. David Lapan:

"The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, spoke by phone this morning with Pastor Terry Jones. In the brief call, Gen. Dempsey expressed his concerns over the nature of the film, the tensions it will inflame and the violence it will cause. He asked Mr. Jones to consider withdrawing his support for the film."

This is not the first time the Pentagon has dealt with Jones.

Two years ago, then-Defense secretary Robert Gates called Jones and asked him not to go through with a public burning of the Quran, the threat of which had triggered violence in Afghanistan; the public burning did not take place.

Protesters in Egypt and Libya cited the Jones-supported film in attacking U.S. diplomatic offices this week. The attack in Benghazi led to the death of four Americans, including U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens.

The Associated Press reports:

Dempsey spokesman Col. David Lapan said Jones did not say whether he would limit or continue his backing of the movie, "Innocence of Muslims." Video excerpts have been available online.

Jones' call to burn Qurans in 2010 triggered Pentagon worries that it could endanger the lives of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. He called off the burning, but his discussions triggered unrest in Afghanistan.