The International Committee of the Red Cross says it has credible information that U.S. personnel at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have mistreated the Quran. This comes just days after Newsweek retracted a story making similar allegations.
MICHELE NORRIS, host: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.  I'm Michele Norris.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: And I'm Melissa Block.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: There are new allegations today in the controversy over whether the Koran      was desecrated by US interrogators in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  The      International Committee of the Red Cross says it told the Pentagon in      2002 and 2003 of instances when US soldiers and interrogators mishandled      the Islamic holy book. This comes days after Newsweek retracted a story      alleging desecration of the Koran at the detention center in Guantanamo.      The report sparked deadly riots in Afghanistan and violence elsewhere and      a firestorm back home.  NPR's Jackie Northam has the latest.</s>JACKIE NORTHAM reporting: The International Committee of the Red Cross is different from most other      human rights groups.  The Geneva-based organization prefers to stay well      under the radar screen, quietly working to improve conditions for      detainees and prisoners of war.  Its strength is confidentiality.  That's      why when, on the rare occasion, the ICRC goes public, it makes an impact.      This time the ICRC has waded into the controversy over whether the Koran      was desecrated at the US detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  The      ICRC says it has gathered and documented credible information that US      soldiers and interrogators at Guantanamo handled the Koran with      disrespect in the early days.  Simon Schorno is the ICRC's spokesman in      Washington.</s>Mr. SIMON SCHORNO (Spokesman, International Committee of the Red Cross): During our visits in Guantanamo, there were instances where the ICRC      received reports from detainees about mishandling of the Koran in      Guantanamo.  We do not want to get into the details of this, but      certainly there were several--there were multiple allegations that we      followed up.</s>NORTHAM: Schorno is careful to point out that the ICRC is not confirming      Newsweek's story about a Koran being flushed down the toilet by an      interrogator at Guantanamo.  But he says that the ICRC supports much of      the information about the mistreatment of the Koran that's already in the      public realm.  For months other human rights groups and defense lawyers      for Guantanamo detainees have been hearing from former and current      prisoners about allegations of abuse of the Koran.  Schorno says the ICRC      finds the allegations are credible.</s>Mr. SIMON SCHORNO (Spokesman, International Committee of the Red Cross): Basically, we speak in private with detainees, discuss      other issues with the detainee wishes to discuss with an ICRC delegate.      And then we, you know, cross-check the information by speaking with a      range of detainees.</s>NORTHAM: The ICRC sent its reports to military leaders at Guantanamo and      the Department of Defense.  The Pentagon confirmed that the ICRC shared,      on what it calls rare occasions, allegations of the Koran being      mishandled.  Brian Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, says that the      allegations were taken seriously and investigated.</s>Mr. BRIAN WHITMAN (Spokesman, Pentagon): And what we have found is that      there have been some instances in which US personnel have mishandled the      Koran.  And there have been, quite frankly, just as many incidences that      we have found in our logs, allegations, where detainees have themselves      done something, either inadvertently or intentionally, to mishandle the      Koran.</s>NORTHAM: And Whitman notes the ICRC did not witness any of the      allegations. But the admission that the Pentagon had been receiving      information about alleged Koran abuse isn't what the administration was      saying earlier this week when the Newsweek retraction was still fresh and      the administration was criticizing a weekly magazine for its journalistic      standards.  Today the talk was focused on steps taken to address any      problems, including guidelines issued in 2003 for handling the Koran and      an increased sensitivity to the Islamic religion, says Richard Boucher,      State Department spokesman.</s>Mr. RICHARD BOUCHER (Spokesperson, State Department): If there are      instances that are credible instances that are called to our attention of      where those rules were not followed or the policy is not carried out      thoroughly, then we investigate, we look into them, we make sure the      practices are corrected and improved.</s>NORTHAM: An inquiry and an investigation into Guantanamo are expected to      be made public sometime in the next few weeks.  Jackie Northam, NPR News,      Washington.