Pastor Terry Jones said Thursday that he decided to cancel his protest because the leader of a planned Islamic Center near ground zero has agreed to move its controversial location. The agreement couldn't be immediately confirmed.

Jones' plans to burn Islam's holiest text Saturday sparked an international outcry.

President Barack Obama, the top US general in Afghanistan and several Christian leaders had urged Jones to reconsider his plans. They said his actions would endanger US soldiers and provide a strong recruitment tool for Islamic extremists. Jones' protest also drew criticism from religious and political leaders from across the Muslim world.