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Pentagon calls Newsweek 'irresponsible' over Koran abuse report WASHINGTON (AFP) May 16, 2005 The US Defense Department charged Monday that a Newsweek magazine report of alleged desecration of the Koran at a US detention camp -- which sparked deadly riots in Afghanistan -- was "irresponsible" and "demonstrably false." The magazine has expressed regret over the article, saying that the senior US government official who was the source of the article in its May 9 edition was no longer certain he had seen the allegation in a military report. "What we know is that the Newsweek story about a Koran desecration is demonstrably false, and thus far there have not been any credible allegations of willful Koran desecration, and Newsweek hasn't produced any such evidence either," said a Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman. The US Southern Command, which is responsible for the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba detention camp, opened an investigation into the allegation last week after riots erupted in Afghanistan. Officials said the investigation is still open. The controversial Newsweek article quoted the official as saying an earlier probe into allegations of abuse contained in FBI emails found that Guantanamo interrogators had thrown a Koran in a toilet to rattle Muslim prisoners. "The Schmidt investigation has found no such allegation in the FBI emails," Whitman said, referring to the probe led by Lieutenant General Randall Schmidt. "The fact is Newsweek hid behind anonymous sources, which by their own admission don't withstand any sort of scrutiny," Whitman said. "The unfortunate part about it is you can't go back and undo or retract the damage that they've done not only to this nation, but those who have been hacked, injured and some even killed as a result of these false allegations," he said. Released detainees and their lawyers have charged at various points over the past year that guards at the prison had thrown a Koran in the toilet. It was unclear whether the military ever investigated those allegations, but Whitman indicated that they were viewed as not credible, referring to them as "substandard" sources. Asked whether the Pentagon could say no soldier had desecrated a Koran, Whitman said, "I never get into the business of saying never." "I said the Newsweek story about Koran desecration is demonstrably false, and there have thus far been no credible allegations of willfull Koran desecration," he said. To show that personnel at Guantanamo were instructed to treat the Koran respectfully, the Pentagon released a January 19, 2003 memo setting forth detailed standard operating procedures for inspecting and handling Korans. One item in the memo said: "Ensure that the Koran is not placed in offensive areas such as the floor, near the toilet or sink, near the feet, or dirty/wet area when doing this activity." At least 14 people were killed and an estimated 120 injured in four days of riots that erupted in the eastern Afghanistan city of Jalalabd last week and spread to other parts of the country. The allegation also stirred outrage in the Muslim world. Pakistan, a key US ally, on Monday demanded a thorough investigation despite Newsweek's admission, and said it expected the United States to share its findings with Islamabad. In an editorial, Newsweek editor Mark Whitaker said the magazine's information came from "a knowledgeable US government source, and before deciding whether to publish it we approached two separate Defense Department officials for comment." "One declined to give us a response; the other challenged another aspect of the story but did not dispute the Koran charge," he said. After being told by the Pentagon late Friday that its story was wrong, a Newsweek reporter went back to the original source. According to Newsweek's account, the senior government official said he clearly recalled reading investigative reports about mishandling the Koran, including a toilet incident. But he could no longer be sure those concerns had surfaced in the Schmidt report. "Top administration officials have promised to continue looking into the charges, and so will we," Whitaker said. "But we regret that we got any part of our story wrong, and extend our sympathies to victims of the violence and to the US soldiers caught in its midst." All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.
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