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| White House bashes Newsweek report on Koran |
| 2005-05-16 |
| The White House said on Monday that a Newsweek report based on an anonymous source had damaged the U.S. image overseas by alleging that U.S. interrogators desecrated the Koran at Guantanamo Bay. The May 9 report triggered several days of rioting in Afghanistan and other countries in which at least 16 people were killed. Newsweek's editor, Mark Whitaker, apologized to the victims on Sunday and said the magazine inaccurately reported that U.S. military investigators had confirmed that personnel at the detention facility in Cuba had flushed the Muslim holy book down the toilet. "It's puzzling that while Newsweek now acknowledges that they got the facts wrong, they refused to retract the story," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "I think there's a certain journalistic standard that should be met and in this instance it was not." The report sparked violent protests across the Muslim world -- from Afghanistan, where 16 were killed and more than 100 injured, to Pakistan, Indonesia and Gaza. In the past week the reported desecration was condemned in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Malaysia and by the Arab League. McClellan complained that the story was "based on a single anonymous source who could not personally substantiate the allegation that was made." "The report has had serious consequences," he said. "People have lost their lives. The image of the United States abroad has been damaged." Newsweek said in its May 23 edition that the information had come from a "knowledgeable government source" who told Newsweek that a military report on abuse at Guantanamo Bay said interrogators flushed at least one copy of the Koran down a toilet in a bid to make detainees talk. But the source later told the magazine he could not be certain he had seen an account of the Koran incident in the military report and that it might have been in other investigative documents or drafts, Newsweek said. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #25 The more I read about this -- the madder I get! As Going Down Range in Afgan says http://goingdownrange.blogspot.com/2005/05/smoke-and-sunset.html I know the blame goes on the terrorists who are fanning the flames by broadcasting propaganda from mosques PA systems, but where did they get their information from? A bogus Newsweek report. So thanks a lot Newsweek for making our life so much easier. I hope the reporter who wrote this great piece of fiction goes on a patrol with US Forces and see what he has wroth. So Mark you want to join the party that you started? |
| Posted by: Sherry 2005-05-16 23:03 |
| #24 The damage is already done--there's no point with regard to the Islamic world for the story to be retracted. Just like a blood-libel, no amount of retraction, proof to the contrary, or re-education will ever convince many people in Islamic nations that Koran-flushing incidents don't take place daily in America. 'course, that means it wouldn't do any more harm to take pics of Korans next to piles of dog crap and post them on Islamist sites, right? I've read it a few times, and became progressively more negatively impressed each time. Naturally, the editors at Newsweek should still have hell to pay for starting this garbage. |
| Posted by: Asedwich 2005-05-16 20:06 |
| #23 Dying a violent death in a firey protest over a false Newsweek story is kind of like dying in the onfield celebration of an Arena football championship. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2005-05-16 19:59 |
| #22 How many times do you guys have to hear this to understand the fundamental and underlying problem? "The MSM is NOT ON OUR SIDE." Today's journalist is above all those bourgoise notions of being an American. He or she is a citizen of the world. It's not that the journalists are unaware of the consequences of thier actions, they just don't care. What is probably more accurate is that they want thier actions to hurt the American cause, not necessarily in terms of actual deaths, but certainly in harming Bush/Hitler. |
| Posted by: Sgt.D.T. 2005-05-16 18:38 |
| #21 But if they used a Ferguson toilet, yeah, it could happen.... ;) Bah woosh! |
| Posted by: Al Bundy 2005-05-16 18:33 |
| #20 Maybe it was travel-sized. Or the Arabic equivalent of a Reader's Digest condensed Koran. But if they used a Ferguson toilet, yeah, it could happen.... ;) |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2005-05-16 18:28 |
| #19 How small is this Koran? I'm thinking it must be a one-pager to be able to flush down a toilet. |
| Posted by: Gir 2005-05-16 17:25 |
| #18 Nice job by C&F. :) (if only I could draw) Can Mark Whitaker be cited for incitement? |
| Posted by: eLarson 2005-05-16 17:02 |
| #17 The sad thing is journalists often make mistakes and then retract them on page 13 three weeks later after lives are ruined. Its about time people really took notice and demanded some accountability at all levels. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2005-05-16 16:55 |
| #16 #7. Larson, Coxandforkum have your idea covered in their May 15 Cartoon. |
| Posted by: GK 2005-05-16 16:21 |
| #15 Mojo - They can't help themselves. It's always been that way and it won't change anytime soon. |
| Posted by: Tkat 2005-05-16 16:16 |
| #14 Ah, them loons riot at the drop of a turban anyway. Try self-control, guys, and don't believe everything you read. |
| Posted by: mojo 2005-05-16 16:15 |
| #13 comeon Lyrics, tell us how you really feel! Dont hold back now. On the other hand I'm sure the Afghanistan Government has a spare soccer field it can spare. I mean the MSM (and Mark Whitaker) have already approved of the execution of women in soccer fields so this should be no problem.... right? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-05-16 16:03 |
| #12 The LIE told by so-called journalist Mark Whitaker is Criminal. By telling and publishing that LIE, Mark Whitaker caused at least 16 deaths and even more hatred against the USA. Endangering all allied troops and non - muslims everywhere in the world. For his part in promoting manslaughter and murder -- he should be tried as (at a minimum) an accessory to an armed criminal act and (if at all possible, manslaughter; IF NOT MURDER. HE should then be hung, drawn and quartered. His parts given to the families muslims and non -muslims who died because if his deliberate lie and fabrication for whatever they want to do with it. IF he can't be executed he should be put into a muslim jail and not allowed visitors or in any way to profit now or in the future from any story etc., he may write. THEN he should be shot! HE is a murderer plain and simple for what he has done. |
| Posted by: lyrics36 2005-05-16 15:58 |
| #11 Let's get the lawyers involved! We need to send some ambulance chaser's to Afghanistan. The Supreme Court has stated that yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater is not covered under the 1st amendment, and Newsweak's stunt is pretty close to that. In a civil case with the preponderance of evidence standard, Newsweak's lack of due diligence is going to be tough to defend. All we need is some greedy lawyers (got that one covered) and some sympathetic widows and orphans. |
| Posted by: Omomong Cloluter8375 2005-05-16 15:57 |
| #10 http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=119300&D=2005-05-16&HC=2 |
| Posted by: anon 2005-05-16 15:33 |
| #9 Does anyone have a "boycott" list??? |
| Posted by: illeagal 2005-05-16 14:45 |
| #8 Nah, eLarson, I'd happily give you my husband's if it wouldn't clog up your sweetie's toilet. No need to give them any more money until they act honorably. |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2005-05-16 14:26 |
| #7 If I weren't concerned about my fiancee's plumbing, I'd buy a copy of Newsweek just to flush. |
| Posted by: eLarson 2005-05-16 13:59 |
| #6 Yet newsweek still protects its 'source' and presumably will continue to use him/her/it and still has not retracted the story. That in itself calls Mark Whitaker's 'apology' not only a lie, but a damn lie. I wonder if there really is a 'source' or if they simply fabricated the entire thing out if thin air and the rumors. I think we should allow Afghanistan to 'extradite' the newsweek editor, publisher, reporter(s), and the unnamed 'source' since they caused the death of afghans with their irresponsible reporting. Freedom of the press does not free them from responsibilty for their irresponsible reporting - these are 'professionals' and should be held to a higher standard. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-05-16 13:47 |
| #5 I still think that Whitaker, Thomas, and Isikoff, as well as their "anonomous source", should go to Kabul and personally apologize to all Afghans. And if they're still alive the US should transport them to Islamabad,Gaza,etc, to explain that they meant no offense, but were only bashing Bush. |
| Posted by: GK 2005-05-16 13:33 |
| #4 Personally, I think they should take the time-honored Japanese action when atoning for a public failure. /slight exaggeration |
| Posted by: Xbalanke 2005-05-16 12:53 |
| #3 If they had any humility and sincerity the editors and writers involved would step down with apologies to all. Reporting incendiary "facts" based upon hearsay (and possibly double hearsay of a murky sort from an a "source" who was apparently internally inconsistent in what he purported to have heard and read at that) is a very small half step above outright lies. Whether the motitivation for publication was greed, arrogance, political, or simply stupidity matters little. These people caused untold harm and should be called to answer and account fully for it. This behavior goes well beyond a simple bad judgment call. |
| Posted by: Tkat 2005-05-16 12:36 |
| #2 I suspect that Newsweek's law department has broken out in hives over the potential civil liability exposure, and that we've seen as much of a retraction as we're going to see unless/until Newsweek's senior management decides to override its lawyers. Just a guess. It's like Rathergate but with dead people. |
| Posted by: Matt 2005-05-16 12:21 |
| #1 The White House said on Monday that a Newsweek report based on an anonymous source had damaged the U.S. image overseas by alleging that U.S. interrogators desecrated the Koran at Guantanamo Bay. Since it's only U.S. servicemen, U.S. companies, and U.S. citizens (presumably not Newsweek or any of its employees) that take the hit for this crap, then it's no skin off Newsweek's back, right Mr. Whitaker? |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-05-16 12:00 |