NEWSWEEK APOLOGIZES: WE DID NOT MEAN TO MISLEAD

To Our Readers,

Okay, for the ninth time we're really, really sorry for publishing a story that turned out to be inaccurate, and led to the deaths of 15 people and the injury of more than 60. Who knew we had more readers in Jalalabad than all of the continental United States?

We did not mean to mislead anyone. We based our original story on the best information available at the time—which in our business amounts to an unnamed government source. This source further presented us with documents to support the story, although they were slightly soggy and discoloured when they came into our possession. After expert examination, they did indeed prove to be pages covered in Arabic script, although their condition made further verification impossible. However, the entire story was subject to the high fact-checking standards of which we at Newsweek are proud. Unlike the Internet, where scurrilous stories can be rushed online in seconds, we have a full week to confirm the details of all our articles. And while we regret the rioting and murders that took place as a result of our inaccuracy, we would like to point out that none of the dead were killed by American soldiers, and therefore don’t really “count.” In fact, we think this whole incident has been overblown, and respectable media should return their focus to the real news: President Bush's declining poll numbers.

Sincerely,

THE EDITORS