Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak apologized yesterday in a phone call to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta for the murders of two American soldiers killed in connection with the protests over the inadvertent Koran-burning at Bagram Air Force Base.

“Secretary Panetta appreciated the call and urged the Afghan government to take decisive action to protect coalition forces and curtail the violence in Afghanistan after a challenging week in the country,”  Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said yesterday.