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As violence over the burning of Korans by U.S. troops in Afghanistan enters its fourth day, the controversy has hit the campaign trail with Newt Gingrich slamming President Obama's apology to Afghan President Hamid Karzai. "There seems to be nothing that radical Islamists can do to get Barack Obama's attention in a negative way," Gingrich said to a crowd gathered in Spokane, Washington, reports CBS News. "And he is consistently apologizing to people who do not deserve the apology of the president of the United States, period."

Traveling on Air Force One, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney dismissed the criticism, saying "It’s a wholly false, fallacious and ridiculous narrative that is not borne out by any facts.” Carney said the letter Obama wrote to Karzai addressed a variety of issues and was "the right thing to do," adding, “The message that we’re trying to convey here is that this was inadvertent.” Meanwhile, the BBC reports that the violent protests in Afghanistan over the holy book burnings continue. At least eight people have died from the riots, including two U.S. soldiers.

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