That other "Koran" story

Wonder why, during the nonstop Koran burning debacle, no one has mentioned the reports from Newsweek, back in 2005, that US service members were allegedly flushing Korans down the toilet at Gitmo.

On Memorial Day of that year I wrote to then Pentagon spokesman, Larry Di Rita, about it, and below is my e-mail followed by his response.

After a week of incessant coverage of a maniacal Florida minister's threat to burn the Koran, I find it remarkable that the mainstream media has had such an egregious memory lapse on this subject. Notably, Larry Di Rita no longer works for the Pentagon and has been replaced by Bryan Whitman:

May 29, 2005
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>Dear Mr. Di Rita:
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>On the eve of Memorial Day, with heartfelt respect for our troops in Iraq, and elsewhere, who have given their lives, and continue to give their lives so that we may barbeque, visit with friends, and write letters like the one I'm writing to you, I call upon you, as has an editorial in today's Washington Post, to provide all citizens of this great country with an independent investigation into the multiple accounts of prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay.
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>Regrettably, at the moment, documents that reveal heinous acts against detainees at the base may only be found on the Web site of the American Civil Liberties Union who obtained this information as a result of a lawsuit against the government under FOIA. That the release of information that speaks to the integrity of our armed forces, and their command, could only come about as a consequence of litigation in a country that purports to export democracy around the world is not merely ironic, it's egregious.
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>These documents which reveal beatings, strippings, and "abuse of the Koran" are even said to include instances in which the Koran was flushed down the toilet, an assertion that you, sir, fervently dismissed as did White House Chief of Staff, Scott McClellan. The revelation of this desecration of the Koran which you have dismissed as "fantastic charges," and for which Newsweek has taken a public, and undeserved, beating require that amends be made. With all due respect, Mr. Di Rita, I believe you owe the editorial staff of Newsweek, and the journalists involved, an apology as these documents show that the reported insult to the Koran, for which they were so flagrantly censured, was, in point of fact, authentic and true. More to the point, on the eve of this most significant holiday, I believe you owe the American people the truth.
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> As we pay our respects to the men and women who honor our country's uniform, we must also pay our respects to the principles for which many have given their lives, and continue to give their lives, for the free flow of information, for principled investigation and, most essential of all, for the release of those documents requisite to ensure that justice come to those who abuse, and defame human rights, our Constitution, and international law. I urge you, as the principal spokesperson for the Pentagon, to acknowledge the veracity of the Newsweek article, make a most necessary, and warranted, apology, as well as initiate an independent inquiry, in open session, into the allegations of prisoner abuse at that naval base in Cuba known as Guantanamo Bay.

Most importantly, when the investigation is complete, I urge you to work with the Defense Secretary, and all those to whom our men and women in combat report, to see to it that your findings come out for, as today's Washington Post editorial rightly suggests, "The American public has a right to know what mistakes are being made in its name, as well as what improved procedures have been instituted in response."
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>Yours sincerely,
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>Jayne Lyn Stahl

From: Di Rita, Larry, CIV, OSD-OASD-PA
>Date: Thu, Jun 2, 2005 at 2:46 AM
>Subject: RE: on the eve of Memorial Day...
>To: Jayne Stahl
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> Dear Ms Stahl:
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>Thank you for taking the time to write, and to share your thoughts. This is an important issue, and one that the Department of Defense takes seriously.
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>I stand by what we said about the Newsweek story. It was egregious, and it turns out it was wrong. There is no evidence that U.S. forces did what they were alleged to have done in that story. In fact, Newsweek itself has acknowledged that and retracted the story.
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>Trying to establish the veracity of that story, the commanders at Guantanamo have conducted a fairly extensive review of our procedures there. You should feel proud as an American of the cautious and respectful approach toward religious items and religious practice U.S. forces are taking. They fly into the island every day large quantities of specially prepared foods so that the detainees can have meals appropriate to their faith. Thousands of Korans have been issued so that detainees may practice their faith. Prayer times are respected, and prayer rituals are respected.
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>The commanders have established detailed procedures for the handling of the Koran, precisely because detainees have expressed concerns about it. The procedures for handling the Koran by U.S. forces at Guantanamo run three pages long.
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>In short, quite contrary to the impression left by the Newsweek story, U.S.forces treat the Koran in particular, and the practice of faith by the detainees in general, with respect.
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>There have been some instances in which the Koran was mishandled apparently. Those are being looked into. Thus far, the review of the matter has uncovered some five or six such instances. This is gleaned from tens of thousands of pages of documents that detail precisely how the detainees are being treated. Five or six instances out of thousands of hours of contact with hundreds of detainees over three years hardly demonstrates a pattern, but we take each instances seriously.
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>The International Committee of the Red Cross has offered its assessment and suggestions to ensure we manage this aspect of our operations carefully. Hundreds of members of congress have visited Guantanamo and observed operations there. Thousands of members of the press corps have reported from Guantanamo.
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>The facts are as I have described them above. These facts have been provided to the public via the media. There is a great deal of oversight of U.S. operations at Guantanamo, from Congress, the media, and the courts.
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>It is important to remember, too, that the people at Guantanamo are suspected, for very good reason, to be members of Al Qaeda. There are individuals there who have acknowledged playing a part in planning the 9/11 attacks that killed 3000 people. There are people there who provided intelligence that interrupted planning for additional terrorist attacks.
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>The United States is fighting a war against violent extremists who use terror to kill women, children, the elderly, without discrimination. We are fighting this war consistent with our principles and values as a free, democratic nation. I am proud to be in government at this time, serving the country in my small way.
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>Again, I thank you for the time you took to express your thoughts. If you care to get additional information about these matters, I would be only too pleased to provide it.
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>All the best...
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>Larry Di Rita

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