Government’s secrecy hurts U.S. relations, people’s lives

On May 9, Newsweek magazine reported U.S. soldiers at Guantanamo
Bay had desecrated the Koran. In response, thousands of Muslims
rioted across the globe, with violence leaving at least 16 dead.
Now, Newsweek says it got the story wrong.

The snowballing violence since the report surfaced is a sad
reminder of the fragile relationship between the United States and
the Islamic world ““ and the importance of accurate
reporting.

Newsweek editor Mark Whitaker has retracted Newsweek’s
earlier report, saying U.S. military investigators have not
confirmed reports of the holy books being flushed down toilets.

And Newsweek’s anonymous government source has backed away
from his initial statements, saying he can no longer remember if he
saw the allegation in an official military report.

But the blame does not lie solely with Newsweek’s sources
and editors.

Some Muslims called for President Bush to personally and
publicly address the issue ““ a desire that conflicts with
Western diplomatic traditions, but makes sense in an era of global
interchange and instant communication.

A more immediate and direct response by Bush could have saved
lives and America’s tenuous foreign ties.

The Bush administration has tried to maintain an iron grip on
every bit of information related to the war on terror ““ but
in the process, incomplete and confused scraps have leaked out,
often with disastrous results.