Drives me crazy, how administrations and governmental officials can pretend that breaking news is just coming out. I realize they hope something unpleasant will just kind of go away, but in a 'free' society they certainly can't count on it. Why don't they do some damage control by publicising something - and its solution - themselves. That way they would make some points and earn some credibility. According to the article, the Defense Department reacted correctly.

The Chicago Tribune
Thursday 19 May 2005

   " Washington - The International Committee of the Red Cross documented what it called credible information about US personnel disrespecting or mishandling Korans at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and pointed it out to the Pentagon in confidential reports during 2002 and early 2003, an ICRC spokesman said Wednesday.

    "Representatives of the ICRC, who have played a key role in investigating abuse allegations at the facility in Cuba and other US military prisons, never witnessed such incidents firsthand during on-site visits, said Simon Schorno, an ICRC spokesman in Washington.

    "But ICRC delegates, who have been granted access to the secretive camp since January 2002, gathered and corroborated enough similar, independent reports from detainees to raise the issue multiple times with Guantanamo commanders and with Pentagon officials, Schorno said in an interview Wednesday.

   " Following the ICRC's reports, the Defense Department command in Guantanamo issued almost three pages of detailed, written guidelines for treatment of Korans. Schorno said ICRC representatives did not receive any other complaints or document similar incidents following the issuance of the guidelines on Jan. 19, 2003. "

They COULD Have Made Points