NEWSWEEK'S MALFEASANCE
NEW YORK POST Op/Ed
May 17, 2005
Sixteen deaths and dozens of anti-U.S. riots later, Newsweek's editors say they regret printing an inaccurate story that U.S. interrogators flushed a copy of the Koran down a toilet.
But it wasn't until late yesterday, after mounting criticism, that the magazine officially retracted the article, which was based on misinformation from an unnamed "senior U.S. government official."
Until then, Newsweek's editors pointedly refused to do so — saying, "we don't know what the ultimate facts are."
Now, apparently, they do. And the facts show that Newsweek was flat out wrong.
Yet even its latest statement falls short of an admission of bad faith: "Based on what we now know," it said, "we are retracting our original story that an internal military investigation had uncovered Koran abuse at Guantanamo Bay."
What weasel words.
Let's face it: America is at war. Even if the story were true, printing it would give aid and comfort to the enemy, stiffening the resolve of fanatical Islamist jihadists to kill Americans in the field.
And, again, the story wasn't true.
The least Newsweek can do is admit its mistake — with no qualifications.
And then fire those responsible.
Sadly, though, it tried to wiggle out of its journalistic duties by suggesting that publishing the story was justified based on what the magazine knew at the time.
The truth?
The report was the logical result of a media mindset that assumes U.S. culpability and insensitivity, particularly on the part of the military.
From over-the-top coverage of Abu Ghraib to other charges of abuse in Iraq — and at Gitmo — it's clear that many news organizations see America and its soldiers as the villains.
And they are champing at the bit to prove their case.
But Pentagon officials say investigators found "no credible allegations of willful Koran desecration."
Actually, a rumor of such behavior has been around for some time, but mostly spread by detainees. According to Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the only reported incident is one in which a prisoner — not an interrogator — allegedly tried to stop up a toilet using pages from a Koran as a means of protest.
In the week since the magazine published its short report, violent anti-U.S. riots ravaged Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Gaza — and 17 people died.
To be sure, the reporters and editors at Newsweek didn't kill those 17 people. Extremist Islamic elements conveniently seized on the report and fomented the anti-American rioting and violence that led to those deaths.
And while willfully desecrating the holy book of any religion is understandably offensive, you have to wonder about the kind of violent response to this story that would leave nearly a score of people dead and dozens of others wounded.
Still, this was more than "an honest mistake", as Newsweek now suggests.
As White House spokesman Scott McClellan said, Newsweek's story "has had serious consequences. . . . The image of the United States abroad has been damaged."
How does Newsweek propose to correct that?
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