The disturbing revelation in Newsweek regarding the desecration of the Koran by U.S. interrogators at Guantanamo Bay has gotten more disturbing still. Newsweek now concedes that its single-source story may not be credible and has issued an apology to readers for the violence that claimed 15 lives in Afghanistan and produced fury around the Islamic world.
Given the impact of its Periscope story, Newsweek's ethical breach if true is a serious one and, as the Pentagon charges, shockingly irresponsible. But the reaction and rhetoric of the Bush administration shows the sheer hypocrisy - and massive cajones - of a White House characterized by a morally casual attitude towards the truth.
Bush spokesman Scott McClellan demanded a retraction from Newsweek, angrily asserting that:

"It's puzzling. While Newsweek now acknowledges that they got the facts wrong, they refuse to retract the story. I think there's a certain journalistic standard that should be met. In this instance it was not. This was a report based on a single anonymous source that could not substantiate the allegation that was made. The report has had serious consequences. People have lost their lives. The image of the United States abroad has been damaged. I just find it puzzling."

Over at the Pentagon, spokesman Bryan Whitman offered a stern admonishment of Newsweek. In his statement, Whitman said the original story was "demonstrably false" and "had significant consequences that reverberated throughout Muslim communities around the world." He added that:

"Newsweek hid behind anonymous sources, which by their own admission do not withstand scrutiny. Unfortunately, they cannot retract the damage they have done to this nation or those that were viciously attacked by those false allegations."

While the outrage of McClellan and Whitman seems called for, both would do well to temper their righteous indignation. After all, the Bush administration took the United States to war in Iraq based on a WMD story that by that does "not withstand scrutiny." The final Duelfer report and the Robb-Silberman Commission showed that the Bush team relied on a single source (Curveball) to make many of its claims. Those claims were "demonstrably false" and as the Downing Street Memo suggests, were probably known to be so at the time. The result has been, in Scott McClellan's words, "serious consequences. People have lost their lives. The image of the United States abroad has been damaged."
The White House and the its amen corner will no doubt keep the pressure on Newsweek both for a retraction and to discipline those involved. But don't expect an apology for anything any time soon from this White House. From rented reporters, purchased pundits, and rigged rallies to scripted sessions, fake news and pseudo-science, the Bush team has consistently sought to alter public perceptions to control political debate - and reality itself.
UPDATE: Newsweek has now retracted the story.
Don't look for apologies or retractions from the White House for Iraq WMD, Iraq-9/11 link, Valerie Plame outing, rejection of science on global warming, claim that privatization would address Social Security financial longevity, fraud over Medicare budget, Jeff Gannon scandal, fake news, Mission Accomplished speech, or anything else.