Clinton noted that Terry Jones, the Florida pastor, is the head of a small congregation, and said she wished his plans to burn the Quran on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks hadn't attracted so much media attention. But sadly, "that's the world we live in right now," she said.

Jones's plans could potentially harm U.S. troops, she asserted, echoing a recent warning from Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan.

The pastor's plan doesn't represent broader American views on Islam, Clinton declared. "It's not who we are," she said.