Newsweek retracts Koran report

Newsweek on Tuesday retracted a story that said the US military had confirmed that an interrogator at the Guantanamo Bay prison flushed a co...

Newsweek on Tuesday retracted a story that said the US military had confirmed that an interrogator at the Guantanamo Bay prison flushed a copy of the Koran down the toilet—a report blamed for helping trigger rioting in Afghanistan that killed at least 14 people.

Editor Mark Whitaker took the action following sharp criticism from top Bush administration officials, who said earlier in the day that the news magazine’s ‘‘irresponsible’’ actions had contributed to the violence in a nation where the US is helping to manage a fragile new government. ‘‘Based on what we know now, we are retracting our original story that an internal military investigation had uncovered Koran abuse at Guantanamo Bay,’’ Whitaker’s one-sentence statement said. He however did not elaborate.

Newsweek on Sunday published a follow-up story and acknowledged mistakes in its May 9 report, which described how interrogators reportedly intimidated Muslim prisoners, desecrating the Koran and, in another instance, leading a detainee around with a collar and a dog leash.

It appeared unlikely that the complaints, or the retraction, would settle the matter, however. Prisoner advocates and the media have been reporting for more than two years about the alleged abuse of prisoners.

A new book by a former translator at the prison renews the accusations, including an account of how one female interrogator allegedly wiped her red-stained hands on a prisoner and told him it was her menstrual blood. —LAT-WP

Pakistan dismisses Newsweek retraction

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday dismissed as inadequate an apology and retraction by Newsweek magazine of a report that US interrogators at Guantanamo Bay had desecrated the Koran. ‘‘The apology and retraction are not enough,’’ Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said. ‘‘They should understand the sentiments of Muslims and think 101 times before publishing news which hurt feelings of Muslims.’’ —Reuters

Afghan government welcomes retraction

KABUL: The Afghan government welcomed Newsweek’s retraction of its article on the US desecration of the Koran, but said it was still angry at the magazine for damaging its appeal for long-term international aid. The retraction was a ‘‘positive step’’, Presidential spokesman Jawed Ludin said, adding that the government suspected ‘‘elements from within and outside Afghanistan’’ instigated the violence. —AP/PTI