Newsweek lied and people died.

Media: The editor's note by Mark Whitaker is insincere.

Last Friday, a top Pentagon spokesman told us that a review of the probe cited in our story showed that it was never meant to look into charges of Qur'an desecration. The spokesman also said the Pentagon had investigated other desecration charges by detainees and found them "not credible." Our original source later said he couldn't be certain about reading of the alleged Qur'an incident in the report we cited, and said it might have been in other investigative documents or drafts. Top administration officials have promised to continue looking into the charges, and so will we. But we regret that we got any part of our story wrong, and extend our sympathies to victims of the violence and to the U.S. soldiers caught in its midst.

No apology for screwing up, just "regret." But the damage is already done, so I guess their job is complete. As I said below, any shock shown by anyone at Newsweek is false, they knew what could happen..

The source told Isikoff that the report would include new details that were not in the FBI e-mails, including mention of flushing the Qur'an down a toilet. A SouthCom spokesman contacted by Isikoff declined to comment on an ongoing investigation, but NEWSWEEK National Security Correspondent John Barry, realizing the sensitivity of the story, provided a draft of the NEWSWEEK PERISCOPE item to a senior Defense official, asking, "Is this accurate or not?"

Now we are in a big CYA mode. But let me point this out, there is no excuse for the violence that happened and it is a slap to Islam and Muslims everywhere and should be condemned.

Michelle Malkin, Powerline, Roger Simon and LGF has more.

Update:

Reuters is now carrying the "apology" by Newsweek.