Newsweek the latest adminstration scapegoat...

Lessee.....is it really that implausible that someone at Gitmo might have flushed a Koran down a toilet???

Granted, Newsweek should have been more cautious, but their source WAS a government official, and reports of "Koran abuse" have floated around before. And the charges have NOT been disproven, only called into question.

That being said, BUSHCO has NO BUSINESS pointing a holier than thou finger at Newsweek, accusing them of publishing a story that lead to a violent uprising. NO, not when BUSHCO started a war based on lies, phoney intelligence.....lies that have lead to the deaths of well over 100,000 people.

The Newsweek article that started it all can be found here.

UPDATE.....Red Cross documents cases of Koran Abuse....
From the Kansas City Star.....

WASHINGTON - (KRT) - The International Committee of the Red
Cross documented what it called credible information about U.S. personnel
disrespecting or mishandling Qurans at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and
pointed it out to the Pentagon in confidential reports during 2002 and early
2003, an ICRC spokesman said Wednesday.

White House Press pool grows testicles...gasp....fights back....challenges Scott McClellan.......

Q Scott, you said that the retraction by Newsweek magazine of its story is a good first step. What else does the President want this American magazine to do?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, it's what I talked about yesterday. This report, which Newsweek has now retracted and said was wrong, has had serious consequences. People did lose their lives. The image of the United States abroad has been damaged; there is lasting damage to our image because of this report. And we would encourage Newsweek to do all that they can to help repair the damage that has been done, particularly in the region.

And I think Newsweek can do that by talking about the way they
got this wrong, and pointing out what the policies and practices of the
United States military are when it comes to the handling of the Holy Koran.
The military put in place policies and procedures to make sure that the
Koran was handled -- or is handled with the utmost care and respect. And I
think it would help to point that out, because some have taken this report
-- those that are opposed to the United States -- some have taken this
report and exploited it and used it to incite violence.

Q With respect, who made you the editor of Newsweek? Do you think it's appropriate for you, at that podium, speaking with the authority of the President of the United States, to tell an American magazine what they should print?

MR. McCLELLAN: I'm not telling them. I'm saying that we
would encourage them to help --

Q You're pressuring them.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, I'm saying that we would encourage them --

Q It's not pressure?

MR. McCLELLAN: Look, this report caused serious damage to the image of the United States abroad. And Newsweek has said that they got it wrong. I think Newsweek recognizes the responsibility they have. We appreciate the step that they took by retracting the story. Now we would encourage them to move forward and do all that they can to help repair the damage that has been done by this report. And that's all I'm saying. But, no, you're absolutely right, it's not my position to get into telling people what they can and cannot report.

LRH: Soooo Scottie, a war based entirely on lies, Abu Ghraib, and flying prisoners to Syria so they can be tortured legally hasn't caused serious damage tot he image of the United States abroad??? Never mind the fact that there is absolutely no proof that the demonstrating in Afganistan had anything to do with the Newsweek article. Give me a fucking break!

Congressional Dems weigh in.......

From Congressman John Conyers on Daily Kos....

A brief message today: What we are witnessing is nothing more than an attempt to intimidate the press corps so that they will be afraid to do their jobs.

Simply put, we must not allow this to happen, particularly when the struggle
to hold this Administration accountable has been so difficult.

There are serious, serious questions about the White House's conduct in the Newsweek matter. More importantly, there are countless unanswered questions about documented and verified cases of detainee abuse and other matters. These questions must be answered.

It is time to circle the wagons and demand that the press corps continue to be vigilant. I intend to contact media outlets to demand that they pursue the unanswered questions about this Administration.

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan owes us some answers as well. This morning, I wrote to him asking for an accounting. This letter will soon be in the hands of the entire White House Press corps. I hope they pursue the questions I have raised.

More of the post, including Conyer's letter can be found here.

And from Frank Rich of the New York Times....It's All Newsweek's Fault