MINIMIZE DAMAGE

REUTERS writer Adam Entous sounds like he feels under assault from the White House. He gleefully depicts the Bush administration's response to the Koran desecration investigation as an effort to contain the damage from the revelations.

I think this is a complete mischaracterization of the situation.

Entous writes:

The White House sought on Saturday to minimize damage from new revelations about U.S. personnel mishandling the Koran at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, prison, accusing a few people of violating policy and the media of blowing "isolated incidents" out of proportion.

It was the administration's latest broadside against the press over abuses at Guantanamo. Last month, the White House attacked Newsweek and went so far as to ask the magazine to help repair damage to America's image.

Poor baby! Entous and his fellow members of the press were broadsided.

Broadsided by what? The TRUTH???

"It is unfortunate that some have chosen to take out of context a few isolated incidents by a few individuals without making clear the policies and practices of the overwhelming vast majority, the 99.9 percent, of our military personnel," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

McClellan said he was referring to "some media coverage and some commentary."

"There were three times as many confirmed incidents of (Koran) abuse by detainees, a number which were far worse than the few isolated incidents of mishandling by a few individuals that violated military policies and practices," McClellan added.

"The military expects its high standards to be met, and does not tolerate or condone it when individuals do not -- as this report makes clear," McClellan said.

There is no spin there. McClellan's words are right on the mark. The instances of Koran desecration ARE isolated. The White House isn't doing any back-pedaling or lashing out at the press unfairly.

Those who are using a handful of abuse cases to discredit the honorable service of the overwhelming majority of our military are being irresponsible by presenting that false image.

Entous' report belongs on an editorial page, not distributed as news.