In this case I don’t see a distinction.
The koran burning is no different than the cartoons, and similar to the military driving their tanks through Baghdad during the early days of Gulf II. All of these things are taken as an affront to islam that ‘must’ be responded to by killing Americans.
Driving the tanks through Baghdad ultimately was a part of the successful effort to draw the islamists to Iraq like moths to a flame.
The difference is who is the Commander in Chief.