Somehow, it's Boosh's fault.Posted on 05/18/2005 1:31:55 AM PDT by publius1
To the Editor:
Re "Newsweek Says It Is Retracting Koran Report" (front page, May 17):
I find it ironic that the White House is demanding more than a retraction from Newsweek over its report that American interrogators at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, had tried to unnerve detainees by desecrating the Koran.
Scott McClellan, the White House press secretary, said: "The report had real consequences. People have lost their lives. Our image abroad has been damaged."
Mr. McClellan said Newsweek's retraction was a "good first step."
As a 9/11 widow who witnessed worldwide support of the United States after 9/11, now, I witness wide hatred of America.
Such hatred has little to do with the Newsweek article. It has everything to do with the Bush administration's pre-emptive war in Iraq. A war based on dead wrong intelligence that has cost thousands of lives. A war based on faulty reasons that have never been retracted, let alone fully explained to the American people or the world.
Mr. McClellan speaks of journalistic standards. How about executive-branch standards that should be met before taking a country into a false war, a war that has made the entire world less safe?
I am all for accountability and retractions. But such things need to start at the top.
Kristen Breitweiser
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To the Editor:
The White House show of anger at Newsweek is disingenuous.
The press policy of the Bush administration is to withhold access to information it feels might have a negative effect on its carefully crafted image.
This policy has caused news organizations to rely heavily on anonymous sources.
The White House can't have it both ways. If it wants news organizations to rely less on anonymous sources, then it must open up true lines of communication with the press.
Robert Dillon Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Finally--sadly--note that only one of the letter writers even bothers to note that Newsweek's screw-up meant that people died. It was not Kristen Breitweiser, nor any of the other morally so-fastidious writers, it was the one writer who was actually concerned that Newsweek acted irresponsibly (not included here). Don't these people have a problem understanding how basic responsibility is fixed for actions? I assume they are libs. Because only a lib would think it more important to bash Bush than to acknowledge the deaths of real people and the proximate cause of those deaths.
WRONG WRONG WRONG, NYSLIMES. YOU AND YOUR FRAUDCASTING CRONIES HAVE IT WRONG, AND WARTIME CENSORSHIP HAS NOW BECOME A REAL AND VIABLE OPTION.
It does NOT MATTER whether these lies WERE written in "good faith" or EVEN IF THEY WERE NOT LIES. This story should NEVER, EVER have been written in the main stream press, EVEN IF TRUE!!!
This information OUGHT to have been brought to the attention of the US gov't, and let them handle it QUIETLY. Inflammatory information like this must be dealt with RESPONSIBLY - in that case (as in Abu Garib) the US must discover the facts, punish perpetrators if any, deal with systemic problems if they exist, and only after that is done, (usually) release the embargo on the story to that reporter or organization who brought it to light.
It was prima facie clear that this, like the overblown Abu story (that the military was already investigating and in the process of punishing), had great potential to harm the United States and our allies (Iraq, Afghanistan, and others); to kill people and injure others - and it is certainly clear that our civilian leadership would condemn such activities if they were occuring. The proper course for responsible news organizations is to let them know behind closed doors what might be going and to allow them time to clean it up. In extreme cases, the story ought to be embargoed forever, but typically it should be released after a period of time.
A RESPONSIBLE news organization might even state a "story" was shopped to them that was found to be UNTRUE after investigation by proper authority - Newsweek COULD have done that in this particular case, and done a great service to our country and the world in exposing how misinformation can attempt to be planted in the media. They blew it, and instead CAUSED MURDERS and Mayhem.
This "shopped" story brings more than shame to Newsweek, though - people are DEAD who ought not be dead.
It is time to bring back wartime censorship of the press.
`\
Methinks Kristin Breitwiser has traded on her victimhood one too many times.
As a supporter of 9/11 victim's families who witnessed worldwide support of the United States after 9/11, now, I witness wide hatred of Kristen Breitweiser, 9/11 complainer in chief. Nothing anyone could do would ever please that publicity hound.
Kristen, your 15 minutes is over (except for Chris Matthews infatuation of you).
Somehow, it's Boosh's fault.What do you expect from these reporters, the actual news only.
They believe that the news agencies is their Temple of enlightenment and with education everyone will come their way. The journalist are the high priest... They probably entered journalist school with dreams of "changing" the world for good..sounds like social engineering... That is how opionions bias any tiny amount of news.
Dear Editor:
As the only person in the world qualified to have an opinion on world affairs, I think that George W. Bush sucks.
Sincerely,
Kristen Breitweiser
Always nice to hear from the lead 9/11 hag, Kristen Breitweiser.
This incident proves that liberals have absolutely NO CLUE about the nature of the enemy. None whatsoever! Worse, they have big trouble with enemy recognition.
Kristen Breitweiser, SHUT UP!
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First of all AFPhys, these muslim fanatics do not need a Newsweek article to go on a killing rampage.
Was Newsweek wrong if they printed an untrue story? Sure they were, but are you not letting the actions of a group of crazed America hating fanatics cloud your judgement?
The Loony left...how it TRIES to divert attention every time it lies!......
As a 911 widow Kristen should have taken the money and STFU, every time she opens her yap she shows her ignorance.
Consider this Letter printed in the New York Times to be the media equivalent of "Mercy Sex". Their heart is not really in it, but they'll go once more 'round the park with you for old times sake...
No, my judgement has not been clouded.
It is time for wartime censorship - our military and civilian leadership has been going to extraordinary lengths to keep from giving recruitment incentives for the terrorists. It is bad enough that AlJezerra(sp?) and other Arab sympathizers lie about our actions without allowing press outlets who are supposedly on our side to be giving them ammunition, too.
Its the Newsweek was responsible for the deaths of 17 Islamokazis that I don't agree with.
I have never seen anything like this in my life. These people are rabid, insane and so full of hate that they will do anything to trash this country. We have military people in harm's way and fighting for us - even people like these letter writers. Do the libs want us to fail, and these people to die? Sad to say, but I think some of them do.
The story was BS - what else do we need to discuss???!!!
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