Newsweek's Non-Apology
"We regret that we got any part of our story wrong and extend our sympathies to victims of the violence and to the U.S. soldiers caught in its midst," Editor Mark Whitaker wrote in the magazine's latest issue, available on U.S. newsstands on Monday, the Reuters story said.
..And from this story:
Newsweek, which said opponents of the Afghan government including remnants of the Taliban had used its report to fan unrest in the country, said it was not contemplating disciplinary action against staff.
"This was reported very carefully, with great sensitivity and concern(emphasis mine), and we'll continue to report on it," said Newsweek Managing Editor John Meecham. "We have tried to be transparent about exactly what happened, and we leave it to the readers to judge us."
With great sensitivity and concern? This comes as close to a non-apology as anything gets. At least 15 people are dead (this latter story reports 16). U.S. Islamic relations in a nation where our soldiers continue to be in harm's way and where our soldiers continue to rely on their cooperation to obtain our objectives, are now without a doubt at a new low. Not to mention the fact that our enemies in the rest of the Islamic world are now getting a much needed morale and P.R. boost.
It has been often said that the pen is mightier than the sword. What Newsweek has done with regard to reporting this non-story in its hell-bent propagandistic jihad to bash America at all costs is to set back U.S.-Islamic relationships at least three years, putting our troops at further risk, lengthening the terrorist recruiting lines, and costing more and more American lives in the process.
And they plan no disciplinary action, and to let the readers decide?? At least when this guy lied, nobody died.
All that the esteemed readers of Newsweek need to do is look at the literal carnage this fiasco has left behind to know that one should spend not one more dime on that rag.
****UPDATE*****
Newsweek continues on its long journey down that River in Egypt:
Whitaker, however, did not say that the allegations in the story were wrong, but that the Newsweek reporters' source could not pinpoint where the source obtained his or her information. He also implied that the story had no causal effect on the recent riots in Afghanistan, in which 16 people have died and dozens have been injured(emphasis mine).
"The riots started and spread across the country, fanned by extremists and unhappiness over the economy," Whitaker wrote.
No causal effect? This guy is so steeped in denial that he couldn't get out of it if someone handed him a 10-mile long section of rope. His & Isakoff's deliberate negligence in their blind efforts to badmouth an administration with which they are at odds (regardless of cost or consequence) initiated a chain reaction that cost lives. There is no getting around that. There is no denying that. Isakoff and Whitaker will answer for their derelictions, sooner or later. If not in this world, then in the next.
|