Monday, May 16, 2005

SCOTT McCLELLAN STRONGLY CHASTISED NEWSWEEK TODAY, and rightfully so. Their substandard reporting has cost 16 people their lives and the situation may not be over yet. Frankly, it could be some time before the U.S. recovers from the damage done by Newsweek reporters seemingly eager to publish anything that makes the Bush administration look bad.

McClellan complained that the story was "based on a single anonymous source who could not personally substantiate the allegation that was made."

"The report has had serious consequences," he said. "People have lost their lives. The image of the United States abroad has been damaged."


McClellan also noted that Newsweek's handling of the errant report is well short of what is expected in a situation like this.

"It's puzzling that while Newsweek now acknowledges that they got the facts wrong, they refused to retract the story," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "I think there's a certain journalistic standard that should be met and in this instance it was not."

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