Anyone think that the Newsweek Retraction and the UK Memo

[MrModerate]

Will be conflated in the press? That the pubbies will throw up a smokescreen to confuse the two issues? That the phony lead tossed Newsweek (if it's indeed phony) was deliberately planted to undercut the UK memo story?

[whistle]

1. Dah....why else?

[MADem]

2. It's only phony in America, it seems

This is not the first time I have heard these tales of detainee abuse. In the wake of Abu Gharaib there were many reorts along those lines.

Obviously, though, the press in Pakistan is well managed too, because apparently, no one told THEM shit about these things, either--either that, or they are "slow to anger," perhaps, or weren't so upset about it until someone TOLD them to be.

Apparently, two freedom loving dictators decided now was the time to make a big brouhaha about it...you've got to wonder if it wasn't a smokescreen. I get as tired of conspiracy theories as the next person, but this seems all too pat to me. Consider the following, and note the DATES, please:

Here are three articles from LAST DECEMBER that detail the Red Cross findings and discuss sexual mistreatment, stressing, heat, cold, loud music--torture lite, essentially:
Dec 21, 04
FBI Agents Allege Abuse of Detainees at Guantanamo Bay
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14936-2004Dec20.html
Dec 26 04
Further Detainee Abuse Alleged
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25962-2004Dec25.html
Dec 26 04 GLOBE
US disclosures signal wider detainee abuse
http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2004/12/26/us_disclosures_signal_wider_detainee_abuse/

Here's a WAPO article about the "menstrual blood" issue from last FEB:
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Detainees Accuse Female Interrogators
Pentagon Inquiry Is Said to Confirm Muslims' Accounts of Sexual Tactics at Guantanamo
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12431-2005Feb9.html

And here we have a Human rights watch report that includes the now-famous Koran abuse:
http://hrw.org/backgrounder/usa/gitmo1004/3.htm
The money quote: For example, the British detainees state that they were never given prayer mats and initially were not provided Korans. They also complained that when the Korans were provided, the guards “would kick the Koran, throw it into the toilet and generally disrespect it.”27 Footnote 27, by the way, is from this prisoner's statement http://www.ccr-ny.org/v2/reports/docs/Gitmo-compositestatementFINAL23july04.pdf WHICH WAS TAKEN IN JULY 2004!!!

SO WHY IS THIS NEWS, I ask? Why is this "suddenly" a big deal? No one got excited in July 2004...why NOW???

Who benefits? Who gets away with something while everyone's eyes are looking the other way?

[Daphne08]

8. Very important links! Thanks!

[radfringe]

3. Newsweek "retraction"

is getting alot of play in the media

the UK memo story was swept under the rug.

Expecting to get the truth from MSM is like trying to find WMD in Iraq

[rodeodance]

4. the WH found an opportunity to blame someone for the riots.

...And here we have a Human rights watch report that includes the now-famous Koran abuse:
http://hrw.org/backgrounder/usa/gitmo1004/3.htm
The money quote: For example, the British detainees state that they were never given prayer mats and initially were not provided Korans. They also complained that when the Korans were provided, the guards “would kick the Koran, throw it into the toilet and generally disrespect it.”27 Footnote 27, by the way, is from this prisoner's statement http://www.ccr-ny.org/v2/reports/docs/Gitmo-compositest... WHICH WAS TAKEN IN JULY 2004!!!

[Clark2008]

5. Heil Scottie!

Of course it will.

People are already confusing these issues. You can hear it in their calls.

[Al-CIAda]

6. Required , blame those who dare expose the illusion that the propaganda

provides. America is always good, always right, and never does wrong. Wave the flag, exhibit rightious indignation at anyone who would question this fantasy. We should be allowed to do anything to anyone because we are Gods chosen people.

[erpowers]

7. Pentagon Official Knew

The editor of Newsweek just mentioned a few minutes ago on NBC's Today Show that a senior Pentagon official has seen the story before it was printed. This official objected to certain parts of the story, but did not object to the part about the Quran being flushed down the toliet.