One author of Newsweek story on As It Happens right now.

[applegrove]

This is not verbatim - go to the official transcript before quoting anything about this.

Michael I - says there was back & forth at Newsweek but they faced strong denial from Pentagon..and their source was then less than sure..so they had to retract.

Clearly still alot of unanswered questions. Pentagon has says different things on different days as to what it looks into in the report on Guantanamo.

He says they cannot standby the story based on what they know now..but in the future? (She asked if they were wrong) They will continue to investigate a murky situation.

Of course they didn't expect the riots. Cultural gap. Neither Newsweek nor the Pentagon had any inkling that this small story was going to set off the riots it did. They had included all sorts of other abuses at Guantanamo...and the sexual abuses seemed more outrageous to Western ears. And to the Pentagon. Their Pentagon sources on confirmation thought the General Miller issues was 'the thing' that needed to be changed. When it was printed - they Pentagon, didn't say anything for 11 days. Only then they asked for an retraction. They didn't put out the fire earlier (which they would normally do if they knew of an impending riot). Pentagon didn't know it was coming.

Could be incompetence or snafus in governance - to be generous. It undermines the central criticism of Newsweek by the WH. Newsweek didn't know the furor would happen and obviously the Pentagon did not either. So the criticism of Newsweek for inciting riots does not make sense.

If the story turns out to be in the Pentagon report...nobody has seen seen the report... Newsweek will weight going on with the story while considering potential impact. Editorial discussion always involves outcomes (if they are known).

He did not offer his resignation. Says it is an internet rumor. Not one shred of evidence.

They use two sources. But their source in the Pentagon was well known to Newsweek and they had been using them for years. So they trusted the source more than a regular one. That is why they didn't go with three sources. And an argument, if it was made that he should resign for only using two sources instead of three, is null in that with the veracity of the Pentagon source... they do not have to. They weigh sources. Based on how well they know them and history of accuracy.

[washinfo89]

1. PEOPLE AT NEWSWEEK BEING FIRED, RESIGNATIONS, ETC (Dilby.com).

I've posted this once, this is the last time I'll post it. I found this from www.dilby.com

Just In 5/17/05 3:34EST: Newsweek Editor Mark Whitaker and Richard M. Smith, chairman and editor-in-chief are in talks over possibile resignations at Newsweek over the Newsweek's Koran article which has sparked riots around the world. It is not certain who will be fired at Newsweek. Article came from an anti-Bush sector of Newsweek in order to discredit Bush, the Iraq War, and U.S. policy. I public apology will come soon according to sources. Developing...

Dilby.com

Admins: I won't post it again. Thanx.

[Spazito]

2. That must be the site Isakoff is talking about re rumours

*

[washinfo89]

5. Yes it is the site for NEWS RUMORS

This site had reports of a possible New York City blast I believe, before it happened about a week ago.

Another instance, Dilby.com reported the Run-A-Way Bride's location before it was on the news or on Drudge.

I like it...

[AnnInLa]

14. washinfo89......you like dilby.com website????

Was just over there and noticed all the winger comments....it is a freeper gossip site...why do you like it, hmmm???? If anyone doesn't believe me, go read how dilby wants the rumor spread around...just like it's being spread here on DU.

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Shouldn't that read the Whtie House & DOD are in talks

over possible resignations?

[applegrove]

4. The last time I went to Dilby they had Cheney 'no longer with us'.

I don't know about the editors but Michael says the rumors about him are internet rumors and have no basis in fact (or some such thing). The interviewer said that the Drudge Report was involved in spreading it.

[washinfo89]

6. dunno maybe

[katty]

8. Too bad-What about REAL torture at Abu Gharib?! Torture of

HUMAN BEINGS? not inanimate objects! (no matter how holy they may be perceived to be)What about lying about WMD's? How many have DIED for that?! How many insurgents are shooting it up in Iraq right now?!
Why shouldn't bush RESIGN over starting this whole mess?!!

NO ONE AT NEWSWEEK SHOULD RESIGN-STAND UP TO THESE ASSHOLES!

[katty]

7. shades of SwiftyCBS-Smells Like 'Discredit'Rove Operation

-the scenario to the discredit CBS debacle is SO OBVIOUS!
and MI is rather conservative (so it doesn't look too damn obvious?!)
They are OUT TO SCARE JOURNALISTS and MEDIA, it is a typical Rover scare tactic-he IS THE EVIL GENIUS MASTER INCARNATE.
Journalists had better fight back on this one ALL THE WAY.
This story and ones like it have been circulating for a long time-
this hooha is bullcrap from WH.

[applegrove]

13. Rove would not have to operate. Just wait until some 'vague' report

on torture came out again. Because it was a pattern that US journalists were investigating abuses.

The guy himself says: to be generous it was a snafu or something.

It could be Islamist psy-ops! We don't know who the first source was. Could have been a recently long ago released detainee. They could have interviewed 'some ex-detainee' years ago. And just recently tried to get confirmation from a Pentagon report. Do we know? What the first source was?

Like I always say: a big ole pile of snakes *******! How can you tell what is what when there are so many nefarious characters involved on both sides.

I hate War.

[gratuitous]

9. Thanks for the running commentary

Boy, Spikey sure sounds clueless, doesn't he? He talks as if the little blurb in Newsweek's Periscope section was the sum total of everything in the media about book flushing. And he also sounds more than eager to take responsibility for the riots in Afghanistan last week, even though there's absolutely no indication that the riots were touched off by the Newsweek item.

Maybe he's trying to grovel his way back into the good graces of the corrupt Bush administration?

[applegrove]

10. That wasn't the tone of his responses. If I made it sound that way I

am sorry. Perhaps there is just a difference between our politics on MSM. LOL Like that would ever happen at the DU:rofl:

[katty]

11. Yea,it's pathetic after reams of LIES from this WH

[applegrove]

12. I ran no commentary myself. This was his commentary. I hope that

is clear.