I am glad President Bush apologized

The military is there as representatives of our country so I feel the apology is necessary.

via BBC News

'Bush apology' for Koran shooting

US President George W Bush has made a personal apology over the shooting of a Koran by an American soldier, Iraq's government has said in a statement.

Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's office said Mr Bush had promised to send the accused American sniper to trial.

The soldier was sent home by the US military after the Muslim holy book was found riddled with bullet holes at a shooting range by Iraqi police.

The White House did not immediately comment on Mr Bush's reported apology.

The US military said last week that the soldier had been removed from his unit, sent home, and would be disciplined.

He was unnamed, but was said to be a staff sergeant in a sniper section.

'People's anger'

Mr Maliki's office said in a statement that Mr Bush had made a personal apology in a telephone call to the prime minister.

"The American president apologised on behalf of the United States... promising to present the soldier to the courts," Reuters news agency quoted the statement as saying.

Mr Maliki had expressed the anger felt by the Iraqi people and the nation's government, his office said.

A US military spokesman last week described the shooting as "both serious and deeply troubling", but stressed it was an "isolated incident and a result of one soldier's actions".