Maybe someone here can enlighten me. It appears obvious that whether or not Newsweek's folks got the story RIGHT (viz., one or more interrogator "dissing" the Koran), Newsweek--once allied or American deaths were linked to that line in the story--would have little choice about whether or not to retract. No retraction, more deaths (not that a simple retraction is going to halt the violence on the same issue, but NW could conveniently wash its hands after the retraction). And tho it's clear that some "journalists" don't mind bloody hands, allowing the violence to continue or spread based on their "report" would, one would think, expose them to enormous pressure from readers and other publishers.
For argument's sake, tho, suppose the allegation was false. Why did DOD fail to notice the line and challenge Newsweek IMMEDIATELY through other channels instead of waiting for the deaths to mount?
Is it possible that no one (DOD, various media, including NW) here believed that the mere mention of "desecration" of a book could cause such havoc? And having learned that it DID, why were "we" unanimous in blaming NW rather than the rioters?