Diversion to the Max!

"We appreciate the step that Newsweek took yesterday," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "It was a good first step. And what we would like to see now is for Newsweek to work to help repair the damage that has been done, particularly in the region, and Newsweek certainly has the ability to help undo what damage can be undone."

While offering few specifics, McClellan said Newsweek should explain "what happened and why they got it wrong, particularly to people in the region."

"They can also talk about policies and practices of the United States military. Our United States military goes out of its way to treat the holy Koran with great care and respect," he said.

CUT TO: Copies of the Koran being treated with "great care and respect" while so-called detainees (aka "human beings") are sexually abused, subjected to torture and near-torture, and "rendered" to foreign countries where they can really have the screws put to them.

Believe me, Muslims around the world don't need this episode to feel fanned by the Washington-fueled flames of a global religious war. When it comes to Guantanamo, the "policies and practices of the United States military," as McClellan says so benignly, have been in violation of international law, contrary to American ideals, and simply despicable.

We'll see how the facts play out in the flushing incident; the Newsweek story was about a pending Pentagon report. There's a bit of nuance required to understand the media story here, but it's entirely possible the incident(s) actually took place. Defense attorneys for several of the detainees have reported similarly outrageous conduct by interrogators.