Does NEWSWEEK have blood on its hands?

Newsweek has now backpeddled from its orgininal column that alleged U.S. interrogators had flushed copies of the Koran down tiolets. The original column has led to massive protests throughtout Afganistan and the Gaza strip, causing approximately 15 deaths.

Instapundit writes: "People died, and U.S. military and diplomatic efforts were damaged, because -- let's be clear here -- Newsweek was too anxious to get out a story that would make the Bush Administration and the military look bad."

Austin Bay says the Newsweek apology is "News Weak."

Captain Ed: "Remember this when the Exempt Media gets on its righteous high horse and instructs us on their superior system of checks and balances."

Michele Malkin posts the following related links:

Little Green Footballs: The Jihad Newsweek inspired

Blackfive: Partners in terror?Mudville Gazette: Shredding the book

Marc Landers at U.S.S. Neverdock asks: "[H]ow many in the world will read this admission?
And of those who do, how many will conclude that Newsweek was pressured into this admission by the government to quell the riots?"

He also wonders where the MSM was when terrorists used the Bible for toilet paper.

The Anchoress offers an answer to the question: "What is at work here - why is Newsweek deliberately pouring fuel onto a fire?"

A reader at powerline also goes out of his way to nail Newsweek for it's choice of spelling the Koran. Calling Newsweek's spelling of "Qu'ran" a blaring example of "political correctness run amok" since an acceptable spelling of the "Koran" has existed sinces at least 1625. "So using Qur'an instead of Koran is like using 'Athina' for 'Athens' of 'Moskva' for 'Moscow.'