Sibling Rivalry

Even the WaPo's backing away from Newsweek--and it owns Newsweek! According to the Post, detailed Pentagon rules for handling the Koran at Guantanamo Bay required:

U.S. personnel to ensure that the holy book is not placed in 'offensive areas such as the floor, near the toilet or sink, near the feet, or dirty/wet areas.'"

The three-page memorandum, dated Jan. 19, 2003, says that only Muslim chaplains and Muslim interpreters can handle the holy book, and only after putting on clean gloves in full view of detainees.

The detailed rules require U.S. Muslim personnel to use both hands when touching the Koran to signal "respect and reverence," and specify that the right hand be the primary one used to manipulate any part of the book "due to cultural associations with the left hand." The Koran should be treated like a "fragile piece of delicate art," it says.

That's consistent with a British write-up after touring the Cuba facilities two years ago, "The call to prayer is piped through the cells five times a day, and each inmate has a copy of the Koran, prayer beads and holy oil." And even Rumsfeld-approved interrogation techniques cautioned:

Other nations that believe that detainees are entitled to POW protections may consider that provision and retention of religious items (e.g. the Koran) are protected under international law (See, Geneva III, Article 34). Although the provisions of the Geneva Convention are not applicable to the interrogation of unlawful combatants, consideration should be given to these views prior to application of this technique.

The only evidence U.S. forces trashed a Koran comes from released detainees (page 27)--who are trained to claim abuse (chapter 18).

Newsweek's slanders are wrong for a reason--U.S. interrogators were told to stay away from the Koran. The WaPo knows that--and has pitched sister company Newsweek over the side of the boat.

More:

MSNBC ultra-lib Keith Olbermann's going down with the ship--blaming the Administration right to the bottom:

The news organization turns to the administration for a denial. The administration says nothing. The news organization runs the story. The administration jumps on the necks of the news organization with both feet - or has its proxies do it for them.

That’s beyond shameful. It’s treasonous.

(via Express News Watch and The Corner)

Still More:


New York Post, May 17th (click to enlarge)

(via California Yankee)