General Myers said that the riots were about the political situation

[redqueen]

if Afghanistan, NOT the content of this article.

Think about it. Why would these people riot over a book but not dead prisoners of war? Not torture victms? It doesn't make any sense.

Why are people screaming bloody murder about this HONEST mistake -- the article was with the Pentagon for 11 days for verification or any notice that he needed to make retractions -- but nothing about the Downing Street Memo. The memo which proves that Bush and Rummy and Condi and Wolfowitz and Perle and the whole gang of liars did NOT make an honest mistake, as they've claimed, due to 'faulty intelligence'... but they INTENTIONALLY LIED.

Those lies cost THOUSANDS of lives, not 17.

Why the outrage over this Newsweek article, while we're all clamoring for an investigation of the Downing Street Memo?

[Drifter]

1. Thats what I thought ...

How many Newsweek subscriptions make it over there. I'll bet pretty god damn few.

They are more likely to hear about Koran desecration from the people who witnessed it, rather than from Newsweek.

This admin is doing its best to put out fires long before they flare up.

Cheers
Drifter

[CottonBear]

4. Unfortunately, damn few Afghanis can read their own language

much less English.

[skypilot]

2. Oops. He got "off-message".

How long before he issues a revised statement?

[redqueen]

3. Well he hasn't yet.

That wouldn't be obvious, would it?

[skypilot]

7. No more obvious than any of their other BS.

*

[redqueen]

12. And bushistas got PROMOTED for their lies.

So using their logic, this journalist should get a promotion, too!

Or the medal of freedom, even!

[Cleita]

5. Also, they were protest that broke out in riots

according to Randi Rhodes.

[redqueen]

10. Exactly.

This whole stituation is ridiculous. Anything to keep the Downing Street Memo off the front pages.

[gratuitous]

6. Oh, that is just SO last week!

Don't you know that reality is whatever the Mighty Republican Wurlitzer says it is? And right now the tune they're playing is "It's All Newsweek's Fault." Get with the program.

[redqueen]

8. Link & text of Myers comment to reporters.

http://usinfo.state.gov/usinfo/Archive/2005/May/12-273892.html?chanlid=washfile

Afghan Riots Not Tied to Report on Quran Handling, General Says
Army investigating allegations of mishandling at Guantanamo Bay facility



By Jacquelyn S. Porth
Washington File Staff Writer



Washington – The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff says a report from Afghanistan suggests that rioting in Jalalabad on May 11 was not necessarily connected to press reports that the Quran might have been desecrated in the presence of Muslim prisoners held in U.S. custody at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Air Force General Richard Myers told reporters at the Pentagon May 12 that he has been told that the Jalalabad, Afghanistan, rioting was related more to the ongoing political reconciliation process in Afghanistan than anything else.

According to initial reports, the situation in Jalalabad began on May 10 with peaceful student protests reacting to a report in Newsweek magazine that U.S. military interrogators questioning Muslim detainees at the Guantanamo detention center “had placed Quran s on toilets, and in at least one case flushed a holy book.” By the following day the protests in the city had turned violent with reports of several individuals killed, dozens wounded, and widespread looting of government, diplomatic and nongovernmental assets.

However, Myers said an after-action report provided by U.S. Army Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry, commander of the Combined Forces in Afghanistan, indicated that the political violence was not, in fact, connected to the magazine report.

--------

It's amazing how stupid some of the swallowers of bush's lies are, isn't it?

[FreedomAngel82]

9. Do you have a reliable source about this?

I'd like to show this to some people. Thanks.

[redqueen]

11. See link above in post 8.

Another source posted in a thread about how the Quran isn't the same as the Blble. As if that makes any frickin difference at all.

On edit - here's the other link from that thread:

http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-05-12-voa74.cfm

[Just Me]

13. No doubt the whole debacle was a distraction from damning facts,...

,...concerning the neoCONs.

[redqueen]

14. That's my opinion.

Which is the one that deals with interference with the "free" press?

Operation Mockingbird?

[NoSheep]

15. I've been asking myself the same thing.

[redqueen]

16. It's a very good question, I think. n/t

[autorank]

17. He's off the reservation. What's up? Why's he challenging Scottie!

Better watch out, Scottie may get Jimmie/Jeff to go after you!

Now this is one of those little things that really provokes my curiosity. Why would Meyers contradict the WH spin on the story?

Anybody have any ideas?

[redqueen]

18. I think his press release was before they got the idea

to make a stink to 1) distract people from the Downing Street memo and 2) promote the 'liberal media' myth and encourage people to disbelieve things.

He's obviously assuming most Americans are stupid, since Quran-trashing has been reported already and the Pentagon had nearly two weeks to refute the story before it was published.

Fucking Straussian bastards.

[Just Me]

19. Lie-management can be hard work, very hard work! *LOL*

}(

[autorank]

20. Oh, I love that one...

"Fucking Straussian bastards." I'll be using that!

:hi:

[redqueen]

21. Thanks!

:hi:

[TexasLawyer]

22. kick n/t