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Newsweek Apologizes
for Quran Story Errors
By
DINO HAZELL (Direct descendent of
Karl Marx! - tha malcontent)
AP Economics Writer May 16, 8:15 AM EST
NEW YORK (AP)
� In an apology to readers this week, Newsweek
acknowledged errors in a story alleging U.S. interrogators at Guantanamo Bay
desecrated the Quran. The accusations, which the magazine vowed to re-examine,
spawned protests in Afghanistan that left 15 dead and scores injured.
(ap) -
Classic!... Newsweak, in Ratheresque (D) form, cared more for harming the
President and his Party Politically, than they did in Establishing Fact before
Molesting their Constitutional Obligation as the "Free Press". The
difference?... Rather's (D) Zealotry did not cause Death and Violence.
Newsweak and it's Minions had best stop the "Government Source" Excuse as soon
as Humanly possible, because unless they intend on naming the Source of the
"hearsay", they are doing little more than Deflecting Responsibility that lies
solely at their doorstep for Reporting on less than Proof regarding such
Inflammatory Allegations. ap Editors Note: Newsweak could not be reached
for comment for this Article, apparently they were too busy trying to get the
Blood of their hands! Yet another shinning example! - tha malcontent)
Responding to harsh criticism from Muslim leaders worldwide, the Pentagon
promised to investigate the charges and pinned the deadly clashes on Newsweek
for what it described as "irresponsible" reporting.
"We regret that we got any part of our story wrong, and extend our sympathies to
victims of the violence and to the U.S. soldiers caught in its midst," Editor
Mark Whitaker wrote in the apology.
Newsweek reported that U.S. military investigators had found evidence that
interrogators placed copies of Islam's holy book in washrooms and had flushed
one down the toilet to get inmates to talk.
Whitaker wrote that the magazine's information came from "a knowledgeable U.S.
government source," and writers Michael Isikoff and John Barry had sought
comment from two Defense Department officials. One declined to respond, and the
other challenged another part of the story but did not dispute the Quran charge,
Whitaker said.
But on Friday, a top Pentagon spokesman told the magazine that a review of the
military's investigation concluded "it was never meant to look into charges of
Quran desecration. The spokesman also said the Pentagon had investigated other
desecration charges by detainees and found them 'not credible.'"
Whitaker added that the magazine's original source later said he could not be
sure he read about the alleged Quran incident in the report Newsweek cited, and
that it might have been in another document.
"Top administration officials have promised to continue looking into the
charges, and so will we," Whitaker wrote.
Newsweek Washington Bureau Chief Daniel Klaidman said the magazine believes it
erred in reporting the allegation that a prison guard tried to flush the Quran
down a toilet and that military investigators had confirmed the accusation.
"The issue here is to get the truth out, to acknowledge as quickly as possible
what happened, and that's what we're trying to do," Klaidman told the "CBS
Evening News" on Sunday.
Many of the 520 inmates at Guantanamo are Muslims arrested during the U.S.-led
war against the Taliban and its al-Qaida allies in Afghanistan.
In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the original story was
"demonstrably false" and "irresponsible," and "had significant consequences that
reverberated throughout Muslim communities around the world."
"Newsweek hid behind anonymous sources, which by their own admission do not
withstand scrutiny," Whitman said. "Unfortunately, they cannot retract the
damage they have done to this nation or those that were viciously attacked by
those false allegations."
After Newsweek published the story, demonstrations spread across Afghanistan and
Muslims around the world decried the alleged desecration.
In Afghanistan, Islamic scholars and tribal elders called for the punishment of
anyone found to have abused the Quran, said Maulawi Abdul Wali Arshad, head of
the religious affairs department in Badakhshan province.
Arshad and the provincial police chief said the scholars met in Faizabad, 310
miles northeast of the capital, Kabul, and demanded a "reaction" from U.S.
authorities within three days.
Lebanon's most senior Shiite Muslim cleric on Sunday said the reported
desecration of the Quran is part of an American campaign aimed at disrespecting
and smearing Islam.
In a statement faxed to The Associated Press, Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein
Fadlallah called the alleged desecration a "brutal" form of torture and urged
Muslims and international human rights organizations "to raise their voices
loudly against the American behavior."
On Saturday, Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister
Shaukat Aziz, both allies of Washington, demanded an investigation and
punishment for those behind the reported desecration of the Quran.
The story also sparked protests in Pakistan, Yemen and the Gaza Strip. The
22-nation Arab League issued a statement saying if the allegations panned out,
Washington should apologize to Muslims.
National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said in an interview for CNN's "Late
Edition" that the allegations were being investigated "vigorously."
"If it turns out to be true, obviously we will take action against those
responsible," he said.
___
Associated Press Writer Stephen Graham contributed to this report from Kabul,
Afghanistan
� Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All
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redistributed.
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