WASHINGTON, May 15: The US magazine whose story of desecration of the holy Quran sparked deadly protests in Muslim countries, said on Sunday that its report might have been wrong. Newsweek said the US Defence Department had angrily protested that the story was wrong and its editor Mark Whitaker said in an editorial “we regret that we got any part of our story wrong and extend our sympathies to victims of the violence and to the US soldiers caught in its midst.”

There have been anti-US rallies in several Muslim countries and they have also expressed concern and called for a full investigation which has been promised by the US administration. The US military said it has found no evidence yet to back the claims. Malaysian PM: Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has criticized the alleged desecration of the holy Quran by United States soldiers at Guantanamo Bay, the Bernama news agency said.

“We are saddened by the incident as it has humiliated Muslims,” he said in the state of Perak on Saturday.

“If we were not weak, (if we were) progressive and strong, nobody could harm us,” said Mr Badawi, who is chairman of the Organization of Islamic Conference.—AFP/APP