Goose Covers Newsweek

I was going to do a long post about the by now famous Newsweek apology. You should definitely read the whole and original thing rather than relying on pundits to interpret it. It isn't actually an apology for getting the bit about interrogators flushing the Koran wrong - more a case of apologising for getting the right facts and the wrong attribution.

They also apologise for any deaths that may have been caused by their original allegations and the rioting that followed them - as if one US magazine story sparked the riots. It may have been a final hook used by certain groups with an interest in seeing riots happen, but if everyone in Afghanistan was happy-happy-joy-joy with the American occupation they would have just shrugged, written it off to the liberal media's bias - and stayed home.

However, Goose at Comments from Left Field already has it covered in fine style.

Looking at the US press and blog coverage today, pretty much everyone has forgotten about the Downing Street Memo and a whole load of other stuff for now because of this one.

I almost suspect the hand of Karl Rove...excuse me while I go get one of my blue pills.

UPDATE 8.00PM Central

Via Stranger at Blah3 I find this admission from General Myers:

The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff says a report from Afghanistan suggests that rioting in Jalalabad on May 11 was not necessarily connected to press reports that the Quran might have been desecrated in the presence of Muslim prisoners held in U.S. custody at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Air Force General Richard Myers told reporters at the Pentagon May 12 that he has been told that the Jalalabad, Afghanistan, rioting was related more to the ongoing political reconciliation process in Afghanistan than anything else.

As Stranger says, "Imagine if Myers had made this pronouncement yesterday. It would have prevented the neutering of an American news outlet." Yup.

Then comes this, from the Yahoo! News report on the Newsweek retraction:

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman was asked whether the Pentagon could say definitively that U.S. personnel never threw a Koran in a toilet at Guantanamo.

"You know, I never get into the business of saying never," Whitman said. "What I'm saying is that this allegation that Newsweek made ... about Koran desecration is demonstrably false. And there have thus far been no credible allegations of willful Koran desecration."

The Pentagon made available a January 2003 memo setting out rules for "handling and inspecting of detainee Korans" at Guantanamo. It said U.S. personnel must "ensure that the Koran is not placed in offensive areas such as the floor, near the toilet or sink, near the feet, or dirty/wet areas."

Yup you are reading it right, that means there have been other allegations before this too, but no-one has managed to substantiate them yet. Same spin as was used on the "rush to war" allegations right up until the Downing Street Memo was leaked. Which means when the proof finally surfaces, as I am sure it will because the interrogators have proven their willingness to trample on religious taboos to break prisoners' wills, it will be time for the "no new information here" spin. Purile.

Thing is, there are records, from military investigations, which were released after the ACLU had to sue for them. Many report, credibly, the use of liquids on blindfolded prisoners who were told it was menstrual blood - a major breaking of muslim cleanliness laws - in an attempt to break their Islamic faith. That is just as bad as desecrating the Koran for any moslem. If the Pentagon weren't such cheapskates they doubtless would have given all the detainees golden cups to drink from.

It's all weasel words, folks - and as I said earlier and Gen Myers confirmed, the riots would have happened anyway.