I am also learning that the official reaction to Newsweek’s error is different than the public face put on by the administration. There were 11 days between the publication of Isikoff’s report and the first complaints from the Pentagon. In the meantime, Pentagon officials went back and forth on whether or not they had found evidence of mistreatment of the Koran. Though they disagreed with the toilet flushing assessment, there was much disagreement over whether or not an equivocal statement could be made that “no such activity” had ever been witnessed.

Obviously, that does not negate Newsweek’s error. However, I hope it does present readers with a slightly more nuanced version of how the scene played out behind the scenes.