US slams Pakistani minister's filmmaker bounty

The United States on Sunday condemned a Pakistani government minister's offer of a bounty to kill the maker of an anti-Islam film that has triggered violent protests around the Muslim world. As demonstrators held more rallies against the film -- this time in Hong Kong, Turkey, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Bangladesh -- even Pakistan's government distanced itself from the comments by its Railways Minister, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour. On Saturday, Bilour offered a $100,000 "prize" for killing the filmmaker of "Innocence of Muslims" -- an amateurish film made in the United States -- and invited the Taliban and Al-Qaeda to take part in the "noble deed." The State Department weighed in Sunday, with an official recalling that US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "have both said the video at the core of this is offensive, disgusting, and reprehensible. The official added: "But that is no justification for violence and it is important for responsible leaders to stand up and speak out against violence." "Therefore we find Mr. Bilour's announcement is inflammatory and inappropriate," the official said in a statement.

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