Bush sayss pope sincere in apology on Islam

NEW YORK, Sep 19 (Reuters) U S President George W Bush said that Pope Benedict was sincere in his apology for comments on Islam that have sparked outrage in the Muslim world, a US official said.

Bush gave his assessment in talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in New York yesterday ahead of a UN General Assembly session today.

''The president noted that the pope had made some apologies for his remarks. The president believed the pope was sincere in those remarks,'' Dennis Wilder, White House senior director for East Asian affairs, told reporters. ''And that's where the discussion was left.'' Asked whether the Malaysian leader had been satisfied with Bush's view, Wilder said, ''He accepted the president's position on the subject.'' Administration officials said Malaysia was selected for one of Bush's one-on-one meetings on the fringes of the UN session because it is in an influential but moderate Muslim country with US ties and democratic credentials.

The pontiff said on Sunday he was deeply sorry Muslims had been offended by his use of a medieval quotation on Islam and holy war.

But he stopped short of retracting a speech seen as portraying Islam as a religion tainted by violence.

While some Muslims were mollified by his explanation for the speech made in Germany last week, others remained furious.

REUTERS PDS BST0536