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Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting

In the upcoming issue of Newsweek, Michael Isikoff and Evan Thomas have a new article on detainee claims of Koran mishandling by officials at Guantanamo. It refers only to Pentgagon documents - incident logs created by guards and/or other military personnel. The article reports the Pentagon's conclusion, that none of the log entries reporting mishandling of the Koran were credible.

In fewer than a dozen log entries from the 31,000 documents reviewed so far, said Di Rita, there is a mention of detainees' complaining that guards or interrogators mishandled their Qur'ans.

Isikoff totally ignores claims made by released detainees. (pdf) Does he really think a guard who threw a Koran in the toilet, or worse, is going to write himself up in a log report?

Isikoff provides the Pentagon's version of why it issued rules for handling the Koran in January, 2003:

In December 2002, a guard inadvertently knocked a Qur'an from its pouch onto the floor of a detainee's cell, Di Rita said. A number of detainees protested. That January, partly in response to the incident and partly to provide precise guidelines for new guards and interrogators, the Guantanamo commanders issued precise rules to respect the "cultural dignity of the Koran thereby reducing the friction over the searching of the Korans."

This is in contrast to media reports (see quoted Washington Post article below for example)that the rules were issued in response to hunger strikes and mass suicide attempts caused by the alleged prisoner abuse, including claims of abuse of the Koran.

Isikoff writes that a released detainee's claim of Koran abuse contained in a lawsuit may have been a misperception on the part of the detainee:

Last week, NEWSWEEK interviewed Command Sgt. John VanNatta, who served as the prison's warden from October 2002 to the fall of 2003. VanNatta recounted that in 2002, the inmates suddenly started yelling that the guards had thrown a Qur'an on or near an Asian-style squat toilet. The guards found an inmate who admitted that he had dropped his Qur'an near his toilet. According to VanNatta, the inmate then was taken cell to cell to explain this to other detainees to quell the unrest. But the incident could partly account for the multiple allegations among detainees, including one by a released British detainee in a lawsuit that claims that guards flushed Qur'ans down toilets.

Why is there no mention of the detainees' precise claims, which have been widely reported? The complaint detailing their allegations is available here. (pdf) The incidents bear no relation to each other. The Guardian outlines some of them here.

The Washington Post reported last week:

Dozens of detainees have said in declassified court records that Guantanamo Bay detention officials and military guards engaged in widespread religious and sexual humiliation of detainees. Detainees said the goal was to make them feel impure, shake their faith and try to gain information. Yesterday, several former detainees said they witnessed military police and guards at Guantanamo Bay throwing their copies of the Koran on the ground, stomping on them with their feet, and tossing them into buckets and areas used as latrines.

Former detainee Abdallah Tabarak told a Moroccan newspaper in December that he saw guards throw Korans in the toilet, according to a BBC translation of the article. "When I wanted to pray, they would burst into my cell with police dogs to terrorize me and prevent me from praying," he said. "They also would trample the Koran underfoot and throw it in the urine bucket. We staged protests in the prison about the desecrating of the Holy Koran, so the management promised us that they would issue orders to the American soldiers not to touch the copies of the Koran again."

The Pentagon issued those rules on Jan. 19, 2003, requiring that the Koran not be placed on "the floor, near the toilet or sink, near the feet, or dirty/wet areas."

Does this sound like the new rules were issued in response to a misperception by the detainees as described by VanNatta? The Pakistan Daily Times last week:

The New York Times published on 1 May this year referred to an interview with a former detainee, Nasser Nijer Naser al-Mutairi, who said the protest ended with a senior officer delivering an apology to the entire camp. The newspaper wrote, “A former interrogator at Guantanamo, in an interview with the Times, confirmed the accounts of the hunger strikes, including the public expression of regret over the treatment of the Korans.” The hunger strike and apology story is also confirmed by another former detainee, Shafiq Rasul, interviewed by the British daily Guardian in December 2003. It was also confirmed by former prisoner Jamal al-Harith in an interview with the Daily Mirror on 12 March 2004. The toilet incident was reported in the Washington Post in a 2003 interview with a former detainee from Afghanistan:

According to the Post, “Ehsannullah, 29, said American soldiers who initially questioned him in Kandahar before shipping him to Guantanamo hit him and taunted him by dumping the Koran in a toilet. ‘It was a very bad situation for us,’ said Ehsannullah, who comes from the home region of the Taliban leader, Mohammad Omar. ‘We cried so much and shouted, ‘Please do not do that to the Holy Koran.’ “ Also confirming the toilet incident is testimony by Asif Iqbal, a former Guantanamo detainee who was released to British custody in March 2004 and subsequently freed without charge. He said, “The behaviour of the guards towards our religious practices as well as the Koran was also, in my view, designed to cause us as much distress as possible. They would kick the Koran, throw it into the toilet, and generally disrespect it.” The claim that U.S. troops at Bagram prison in Afghanistan urinated on the Koran was made by former detainee Mohamed Mazouz, a Moroccan, as reported in the Moroccan newspaper, La Gazette du Maroc on 12 April this year. Tarek Derghoul, another of the British detainees, similarly cites instances of Koran desecration in . Desecration of the Koran was also mentioned by former Guantanamo detainee Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost and reported by the BBC in earlier this month.

I recapped several other accounts here. Isikoff concludes his article with:

Di Rita said that the Pentagon may look further into the reports found in the logs. The Pentagon is not ruling out the possibility of finding credible reports of Qur'an desecration. But so far, said Di Rita, it has not found any.

Iskikoff doesn't even question why the investigation will be limited to reports "found in the logs." Logs written by prison guards? I'm not saying the detainees' claims are true, only that Isikoff should have mentioned them. By failing to even refer to the details of the claims, he wrote a misleading, biased, government propaganda piece.

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    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#29)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    Blag - No, that's not what he said. He sad, " whatever source we can find that we deem reliable." Which means, " whatever source we can find that we deem reliable." Glad to be able to help. BTW - I note you didn't try to tell us there are no international organizations collecting money for the terrorists. Don't you just hate people with memories?

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#30)
    by Richard Aubrey on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    Let's see now. We can't trust the guards. We can't trust the detainees. Investigators have no sources other than guards and/or detainees. Looks as if there is no possibility of learning anything at all about Gitmo. Pity.

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#31)
    by soccerdad on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:54:18 PM EST
    PPJ which international agencies are and exactly for whom?

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:39 PM EST
    My comment still stands. I do not trust the motives, or truthfulness, of any of these, be they released, or not. PPJ say it with me slowly. Not all Muslims are terrorists.

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#15)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:39 PM EST
    Jim, What about McVeigh? What about Eric Rudolph? These aren't terrorists? They were the groundbreakers here, the ones who showed you can attack America at home -- and they were white Americans. What, they don't count because they're not Muslim? They are terrorists who attacked America. Also, if you don't believe what ANY detainee has to say, what reason do you have to believe this administration, which has lied about everything from why we went to war, to what happened to Pat Tillman, to how they supported and aided the economic rape of California by their cronies, and on and one. What possible reason would you have to believe them? You have no rational basis. None. So you believe them out of the irrational need to be coddled like a child. If not, explain to me what ounce of credibility this criminal administration has left. Let's see those rhetorical skills at work, let's see that "freedom" you've been raised in at work in your mind.

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#9)
    by theologicus on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:40 PM EST
    Great coverage, Jeralyn. The Newsweek retreat is disturbing. No backbone. It is always puzzling to see an independent media display its lack of independence. I've never seen a fully satisfactory explanation for this phenomenon, which has been around for a long time. Of course there are standard answers. But they never quite seem to add up.

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#10)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:40 PM EST
    To elaborate on GregZ's point, what do you know of these men Jim, except that their skin is brown. You take a lot on faith from known liars.

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#11)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:40 PM EST
    Ernesto - 20/20 hindsight... and loaded with weasle statements.. "it now appears..." "disclosed that senior intelligence officials had serious questions..." The facts are that, since you find that, "The Neocons are every bit as bad as our former CIA asset Bin Laden," you will sieze any slight piece of information to denigrate the country and the administration. Ernesto, when you give equivalency to terrorists with members of your own government, then you lose the ability to be taken seriously in your criticism. Whatever hesitation Bush may have felt had to be tempered with the knowledge that if he did not attack, and if the contra information was wrong, hundreds of thousands of Americans might die. BTW - That "senior officals" bit has been replayed dozens of time as if was new and different. The comments all come from the same meetings at the same time, so what you have is a very well beaten dead horse.

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#12)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:40 PM EST
    GregZ - Watch my lips. In the WOT, all terrorists have been Moslem.

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#13)
    by soccerdad on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:40 PM EST
    In the WOT, all terrorists have been Moslem.
    Have any proof?

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#14)
    by soccerdad on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:40 PM EST
    insult deleted

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#16)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:42 PM EST
    dadler - The comment says plainly, "In the WOT..." Are you saying these two were acting for the Moslem terrorist organizations such as al-Qaida, Hamas, Hezbollah, etc. Seems a bit far fetched to me. No, I think they were just a pair of home grown punks who lost control and killed a bunch of innocent people in OK city.. I don't have the exact number, somewhere around 275... Of course Clinton told us the cause was Talk Radio, the Right Wing kind... Same for Rudolph, although I think Clinton kept out of the motive business with him.. As for teaching we can be attacked here, that is very slim... I mean you do remember the first WTC attack??? In 1993....By Moslem Terrorists... And no, Tillman's death was lied about by the Army, not by the "adminsitration" for heaven's sake. What else should we blame Bush for? Flat feet and bad breath? And who said I believe the administration 100%? But before you decide who is rational, I will note that many in the Left claimed that Karl Rove put out the Rathergate memos... And just last week someone... Dronchee?? was telling us that Saddam's capture staged, based on reports out of a couple ME newspapers... But to return to the home grown terrorists... I want you to think real hard on this fact. They had no international organization with millions of dollars supporting them. That's the difference.

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:42 PM EST
    Who's your "international organization with millions of dollars supporting" terrorists, PPJ? Halliburton? Blagh can't wait for this...

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#18)
    by glanton on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:42 PM EST
    "In interviews with The Washington Post, the Army Ranger's mother and father said they believe the military and the government created a heroic tale about how their son died to foster a patriotic response across the country." From the link I posted earlier in this thread. The propaganda bears out the paretns' accusation, Jim. Blaming it on "the Army" so as to absolve the Administration is just plain dumb. "And who said I believe the administration 100%" Only everyone who's ever read your posts to this site.

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#19)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:42 PM EST
    Don't be silly, glanton...No conservative on this earth believes the garbage the Bush administration spews out..unless they're missing a couple of chromosomes or live in West Virginia (redundant).

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#20)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:43 PM EST
    Blagh - Are you telling us that there are no international organizations collecting millions of dollars for the various torture groups? glanton - Thanks, didn't know I had such a large fan base. Your problem is that you cannot separate the administration and the government/military. Think of it this way. In six years the administration will be done. The government will remain in place, waiting for the new administration... So you should at least try and distinguish between the two. It will make your rants much more effective.

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#21)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:43 PM EST
    Why would anyone want to separate the administration/military when they're one and the same? Incidentally, the U.S. administration is making WMD claims about Iran based on an Iranian group labelled as "terrorist" by (guess who?) the U.S. administration... Any comments on that? Doesn't that sound very (Chalabi!) familiar, PPJ?

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#22)
    by roy on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:43 PM EST
    Blaghdaddy,
    Incidentally, the U.S. administration is making WMD claims about Iran based on an Iranian group labelled as "terrorist" by (guess who?) the U.S. administration...
    Could you clarify that, or give a link? I haven't heard it before, only speculation that Iran is working toward nukes by gaming the IAEA. And, do you actually believe the U.S. administration? Elsewhere, you say:
    ...if Iraq was such a threat ..., what is Iran? ...the difference being they actually HAVE WMD's...


    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#23)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:43 PM EST
    Sure, Roy... 1st link - U.S. Using Terror Group to Further WMD claims against Iran... 2nd....Iran is widely known to possess chemical and probably biological weapons...so they DO have WMD's... But they don't have nukes, and that's what the U.S. Administration is using the "terrorist" group for...more bogus nuke info to start a war... The two can be true and separate...nukes aren't the ONLY WMD's...

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#24)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:43 PM EST
    Roy... Another link on the U.S. Administration crawling into bed with an Iranian terrorist group to gain more cover for a showdown with Iran at the U.N. Will Colin Powell be presenting this B.S., or will it be Condi-mima Rice this time around...?

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#25)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:44 PM EST
    Blagh - I thought you guys called people like these, "insurgents," But either way, your source is a blog, with no back up. Got any other "proof?" I hope you do, because that would indicate that we have finally got the CIA off its Church Committee induced coma and doing what needs to be done. Hmmm, my wish came true, that is if we can believe MSN's sources. Why separate the military and the administration? Because they are two distinct groups. Since you may not understand a constitutional republic, let me explain. The administration is elected. The military is not. It exists, as does SD, Treasury, etc., no matter who is in office. No charge for the education. BTW - I notice you didn't tell us that there are no international organizations collecting millions of dollars for the terrorist groups. Kinda steped on it, eh? Hope you had on golf shoes.

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#26)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:44 PM EST
    Source of what is a blog, PPJ? What do you need proof of? Let him know, since your Google button is broken...

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#27)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:44 PM EST
    If you're referring to the U.S. using terrorist groups to achieve its ends, Blagh included an MSNBC link to a May 18th article the comment before yours...enjoy...

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#28)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:55:44 PM EST
    For those of you too lazy to read the link, here's a beauty quote from your next U.N. Ambassador on the subject of using terrorists to advance American foreign policy: "I certainly don't have any inhibition about getting information about what's going on in Iran from whatever source we can find that we deem reliable." Translation of John Bolton's statement: "Look, we don't give a f#*k; if their claims help us, we'll use them." So Bolton's reliable source is one who simply says what he wants to hear... Welcome to the U.N., Mr. Bolton...about the war on terror...

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:17 PM EST
    The Newsweek-Bush Mea Culpa Scorecard is unchanged...

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#2)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:17 PM EST
    And are we supposed to take the word of these terrorists? I think not.

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:17 PM EST
    Jim, most of them are prisoners who were released because there was no evidence they were terrorists. None have had charges filed against them. Those that the Administration suspects of terrorist activities are still at Guantanamo.

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#4)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:17 PM EST
    Nope...we are only supposed to take the word of those terrorists who claimed Saddam was stockpiling nukes, had mobile germ warfare labs, etc. etc. Those are the only terrorists we can trust, Jim.

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#5)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:18 PM EST
    TL - My comment still stands. I do not trust the motives, or truthfulness, of any of these, be they released, or not. Ernesto - You do realize`that your condemning the world's intelligence agencies, not to mention all of the top Democratic leadership? (Like some quotes??)

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#6)
    by glanton on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:18 PM EST
    Here's an exposure of some real one sided reporting for you, and of a far more dangerous bent.

    Re: Newsweek's New One-Sided Reporting (none / 0) (#7)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:18 PM EST
    Ernesto - You do realize`that your condemning the world's intelligence agencies, not to mention all of the top Democratic leadership?
    Everyone knew that Saddam had the poison gas and stuff at some point because us civilized western countries sold them to him. But was the evidence there for us to go to war. Read this. excerpts
    ...it now appears that even before the war many senior intelligence officials in the government had doubts about the case that was being trumpeted in public by the president and his senior advisers.
    All these claims were made by Bush or then-Secretary of State Colin Powell in public addresses even though, the reports made clear, they had yet to be verified by US intelligence agencies.
    Similarly, the president's intelligence commission, chaired by former appellate judge Laurence Silberman and former senator Charles Robb, a Democrat from Virginia, disclosed that senior intelligence officials had serious questions about an Iraqi informant who provided the key information on Saddam's alleged mobile biological facilities.
    It was a sham job and the fact that you are typing to me in the safety of your own home rather than over in Iraq looking for the WMD leads me to believe that you recognize it as such.