When the Danish cartoons depicting Mohammed were published, Danish embassies around the world were attacked. Some people died as a result. When Salman Rushdie published the Satanic Verses, a fatwa was issued against him that demanded he be killed. It is still in effect and Rushdie must still be very careful about his security and appearing in public. Theo van Gogh was assassinated because of a film he made about Islam.
The people who should be criticized and excoriated are the people who killed the UN staff. Their actions are in no way justified by what a preacher does in the US. The idea that we must curtail our right of free expression because it might anger radical Islamists is abhorrent, especially when it comes from one of our national leaders. Where is the outcry about bibles not being allowed to be imported into many Muslim countries? Or the prohibition against the practice of Christianity in those countries.
The grave danger posed to our way of life thru self-censorship caused by fear of a radical religion's response is far greater than the physical danger posed to our troops. What the Hell kind of nation have we become?
What the hell kind of war on terror are we waging? That's perhaps the more pertinent question. We are rewarding terror instead of blasting the village where the koran killings took place back to the stone age if it isn't there already.