I happened to have caught a segment of Lou Dobbs today, regarding the 'Koran abuse' Newsweek article. It gave me perspective of something I hadn't really been following. I taught it was a non story. But the details behind it, is a story. Interestingly enough there had been independent complaints about Koran abuse prior to this whole article. Prisoners had been filing complaints of Koran abuse , however they were all dismissed as lies by enemies of the USA. There was a published military memo that was produced in 2002 or 2003 (I forgot the date) in response to a 'mishandling' incident of a Koran. The memo went into great detail as to guide all personnel on how to respectfully handle the Koran.
Rumsfeld and the administration calling to task and blaming Newsweek for the death of Afghan civilians, when there are military reports that those protests where likely going to happen even without Newsweek's article. Gen Meyers had made comments to that effect contradicting Bush /Rumsfeld. To date Gen Meyers has not retracted his statement. Bush and Rumfeld are trying to distract away from the truth that these abuses probably did occur, but just because they're not mentioned in an official report, that means logically that it didn't happen. Why does this sound familiar?
Well done Lou Dobbs, shedding light on the Truth.
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Below is part of a transcipt of the White House Press ripping into McClellan
transcipt from drudge site which I refuse to link to...it took me great pains just to visit it .. (thanks to kossack or is that kossackian -- bornadem)
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....
Q Are you asking them to write a story about how great the American military is; is that what you're saying here?
MR. McCLELLAN: Elisabeth, let me finish my sentence. Our military --
Q You've already said what you're -- I know what -- how it ends.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I'm coming to your question, and you're not letting me have a chance to respond. But our military goes out of their way to handle the Koran with care and respect. There are policies and practices that are in place. This report was wrong. Newsweek, itself, stated that it was wrong. And so now I think it's incumbent and -- incumbent upon Newsweek to do their part to help repair the damage. And they can do that through ways that they see best, but one way that would be good would be to point out what the policies and practices are in that part of the world, because it's in that region where this report has been exploited and used to cause lasting damage to the image of the United States of America. It has had serious consequences. And so that's all I'm saying, is that we would encourage them to take steps to help repair the damage. And I think that they recognize the importance of doing that. That's all I'm saying.
Q As far as the Newsweek article is concerned, first, how and where the story came from? And do you think somebody can investigate if it really happened at the base, and who told Newsweek? Because somebody wrote a story.
MR. McCLELLAN: I think Newsweek has talked about it. They took it --
etc....
