The Pentagon has reached a new low. It has accused Newsweek of being “irresponsible” for suggesting that interrogators desecrated the Holy Koran. The Guardian reports a spokesman for the Pentagon saying:

” ….our reaction is that Newsweek reported something that was factually inaccurate on several points. It’s demonstrably wrong, and Newsweek has acknowledged that. But they have not retracted it, and have tried instead to water it down.“They printed a story based on an erroneous source or sources that was demonstrably false and that resulted in riots in which people were killed. I don’t know how else to parse it.”

Ahem. the Pentagon also thinks that Newsweek has damaged American image abroad.
ROTFL.
Well, Mr.Pentagon, if the USA has a half decent reputation outside its borders it is because of your Press, your movies, your Academia, your people – not because of the Pentagon or American politicians. The last two have caused too much death and destruction in too many parts of the world to be thought of well. Newsweek merely printed something that most people expected will happen. Its like a bunch of Redneck Soviets burning the Torah in the bad old days of Communism or a bunch of Nazis doing the same. It is an expected form of behaviour.
Now, let’s get back to the alleged Desecration of the Koran.
For an Army of Occupation that thinks nothing of chaining people up and dragging them along, in the nude, like animals – desecrating the Koran or anyother holy book is no great shakes. After all, the manner of torture was to humiliate the prisoner -as it voilated their cultural norms. As Edward Kennedy put it, last year:

In the Middle East and too often today, the symbol of America is not the Statue of Liberty; it’s the prisoner standing on a box wearing a dark cape and a dark hood on his head, wires attached to his body, afraid that he’s going to be electrocuted

Do you think that the same bunch of people in charge – of the torutre – would hesitate in flushing down a Bible (or whichever sacred book) if they thought it would break the prisoner.
Furthermore, do you honestly think that the kind of people we all saw in videos last year terrorizing prisoners would know the difference between the Koran and a telephone directory.
Incidentally, Newsweek has apogized. Its retraction is slightly wishy washy. but it has apologised. Whereas all is quiet on the Pentagon Front.
btw this is the same Pentagon that went war against Iraq based on unverified reports of Weapons of Mass Destruction. There hasn’t been any apology either from the Pentagon or its bosses.