The Newsweek Mistake

Newsweek's mistake was backing off, apologizing and then retracting.
Not only was what the story reported printed before, it's going to be upheld in the pending report. The real lesson here is what news organizations will do when put under pressure, not what they will print.
Newsweek has wrongly and maliciously been accused of causing the deaths of 10+ foreign nationals and putting American servicemen in danger - undermining the 'American War effort'.

The New York Times Story dated April 30th, 2005 makes the same charges about the Koran albeit in a more general way.
When the report is finally released it will be an educational experience in how the media reacts, and how the administration will pretend they never said the nasty, abusive, and just plain lies about Newsweek and its writers and what were the supposed effects.
The damnation goes to this administration and it's attempts to circumvent domestic and international law by moving the prisoners to a patch of land that they could keep out of the reach of observers while the legalities were fought over.
I don't care if the abuses happened in 2002, 2003 or 2005 - they happened and the government had to list directives to stop it in 2003.
Did it stop?
Who can tell, observers are still kept on an appointment only status and only just now are we putting a stop to unrecorded 'ghost' detainees.
If anyone holds blame for abuses, it's the same people that are always responsible when a captor holds a captive... The captor.
The incarceration of an individual carries a moral responsibility, and the crime of the accused or convicted does not absolve the captor of moral obligation.
No one is entitled to caviar snacks and Premium cable while a prisoner, but no person is permitted to conduct criminal activities against a prisoner, any prisoner for any 'reason'.
We -know- without a doubt that abuses have taken place, by the governments own admission.
It's up to the government to put a bright light on the places where these problems have taken place and bring in observers to assure the world that we are serious about stopping it.
Failing to do that causes harm to war efforts, puts the troops in danger and gives validity to the trouble makers who would use it to undo progress in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world.
The surest way to empower your enemy is to give truth to the lies they would tell about you anyways.

And now, reporters are not even supposed to report allegations until they are proven.
Tell me who will call for investigations to prove allegations, if they never hear of the allegations?
No one, and that's the way governments like it.