Posted on 05/15/2005 10:31:22 AM PDT by Pikamax
May 23 issue - Did a report in NEWSWEEK set off a wave of deadly anti-American riots in Afghanistan? That's what numerous news accounts suggested last week as angry Afghans took to the streets to protest reports, linked to us, that U.S. interrogators had desecrated the Qur'an while interrogating Muslim terror suspects. We were as alarmed as anyone to hear of the violence, which left at least 15 Afghans dead and scores injured. But I think it's important for the public to know exactly what we reported, why, and how subsequent events unfolded.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
I'm not ashamed to be an American.
I'm ashamed the liberals at Newsweak are still Americans.
They could emigrate to Canada.
I'd go further and charge them with murder.
Thanks.
So basically, we have an entirely made-up story, likely designed to get people in Afghanistan inflamed, and intended to try and make our military and the Bush administration look bad.
And now Newsweek simply says "oops," and offers a weak apology, after a number of individuals have been killed in the rioting in Afghanistan, and the haters of democracy have even more fodder for their hatred of the United States!?!
My bet is that they knew the report was bogus all along. But they also knew that, even if they had to retract the story, the retraction would garner much less attention than the original story.
That's infuriating.
you can also bet that the timing of this "apology" was right down to the minute........i.e. AFTER the bulk of the talking-head shows were off the air this Sunday morning....
Not just troops -- Newsweek inflamed the fanatics and greatly increased the odds of attacks on Americans of any kind, anywhere, including civilians.
This should be investigated by Congress and the Justice Department. The press has an explicit duty to check their facts and they obviously didn't here. The result was the endangerment and deaths of some of our troops and a straining of relations with governments we are building as democratic allies in an unfriendly part of the world. There was no real urgency to run this story, there was time to check and double-check the facts before publication. It is obvious that Newsweek's agenda was to harm the US military and President Bush to the detriment of the truth. I hope the White House and the Pentagon "shut out" Newsweek from any news other than allowing them to be present at normal briefings. They should not talk to Newsweek in anonymous "off the record" settings and they should refuse to take their questions at briefings and press conferences.
I dunno, their excuse DOES sound like "fake but accurate" with a disclaimer.
Ah. So your objection is shoddy journalism. If the reported story were true and people died, that would be OK with you.
Got it.
As I read your words, I get angry all over again, and think of all the damage they have done and really wonder does not one of these yahoo's have a friend, son, daughter in the military?
They put at risk our military and hard working American's. I thought I was angry about the Rather incident for me this trumps that and well somebody's head needs to roll.
We should write, we should demand, we should have a voices heard this is NO way to run a news desk.
This is just in the spirit of ole Maggot [Michael] Moore-on, isn't it? How many troops did he get killed with his encouragement of the terrorists? And let's give credit where due to JFKerry, Barbara Boxer, the Dixie Chicks and every last loose-lips anti-American who've contributed to the deaths and casualties of who knows how many of our finest and bravest Americans!
O, and isn't newsweek the rag that pays Eleanor Clift's salary?
My Objection is Newsweek acting like Iago.
Remember your Shakespeare? -- Who was the real villain -- Othello the murderer, or the man who egged him to do it, Iago?
Its pretty simple. Newsweek knew they didn't have a story and ran with it anyway. They knew the impact of their story and ran with it anyway.
If the reported story were true and people died, that would be OK with you.
I said I don't play hypotheticals. If begins an hypothetical. Why can't you accept that?
Newsweek would be an excellent first example to actually prosecute for bogus inflammatory lies published especially during a time of war. This cannot stand. And I don't want to hear First Amendment Rights on this one.
"...a clandestine group or faction of subversive agents who attempt to undermine a nation's solidarity by any means at their disposal." (definition from Brittanica online)
Free Speech is not a license for irresponsibility, as many on the Left would contend.
Newsweek lied, people died.
Needs to be on a billboard in the Middle of Times Square.
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