It does NOT MATTER whether these lies WERE written in "good faith" or EVEN IF THEY WERE NOT LIES. This story should NEVER, EVER have been written in the main stream press, EVEN IF TRUE!!!
This information OUGHT to have been brought to the attention of the US gov't, and let them handle it QUIETLY. Inflammatory information like this must be dealt with RESPONSIBLY - in that case (as in Abu Garib) the US must discover the facts, punish perpetrators if any, deal with systemic problems if they exist, and only after that is done, (usually) release the embargo on the story to that reporter or organization who brought it to light.
It was prima facie clear that this, like the overblown Abu story (that the military was already investigating and in the process of punishing), had great potential to harm the United States and our allies (Iraq, Afghanistan, and others); to kill people and injure others - and it is certainly clear that our civilian leadership would condemn such activities if they were occuring. The proper course for responsible news organizations is to let them know behind closed doors what might be going and to allow them time to clean it up. In extreme cases, the story ought to be embargoed forever, but typically it should be released after a period of time.
A RESPONSIBLE news organization might even state a "story" was shopped to them that was found to be UNTRUE after investigation by proper authority - Newsweek COULD have done that in this particular case, and done a great service to our country and the world in exposing how misinformation can attempt to be planted in the media. They blew it, and instead CAUSED MURDERS and Mayhem.
This "shopped" story brings more than shame to Newsweek, though - people are DEAD who ought not be dead.
It is time to bring back wartime censorship of the press.
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Ahem. The people who killed and rioted caused the murder and mayhem.
Newsweek just published a story. True or not, it's just words on a page.
What you're saying is the same as liberals trying to blame murders on the gun instead of the shooter.
Maybe my memory is off, but I thought Newsweek did run the story by the Army and got no comments.
Exactly! What was the purpose? If the goal wasn't to incite unrest and anti-American sentiment than what was it?