News

Yesterday, we reported on ominous comments credited to former C.I.A. director Michael Hayden. After appearing on Sunday’s installment of CNN’s State of the Union, Hayden was quoted by the Associated Press as predicting that war with Iran was “inexorable.” (Your blogger, sensing a reference to William James, was especially convinced of the veracity of the prophesy.) Now, the A.P. has published a slight correction to the assertion that Hayden characterized war as inevitable: Hayden did not, in fact, characterize war as inevitable. “A spokeswoman for Hayden responded that he made his [“inexorable”] reference to Iran’s push toward acquiring a nuclear program and not to military action,” the news organization reports. Regret the Error, a blog whose bread and butter is corrections and retractions, called the mistake “notable.” We agree: don’t panic because we’re going to war with Iran; panic because nothing can stop Iran from acquiring nukes, but this doesn’t necessarily mean war. Feel better?