We Regret Any Embarrassment

Resuming basement cleanup. Stumbled across this in a 2005 Harper's Magazine:

A story headlined "Syria seeks our help to woo U.S." in Saturday's "Weekend Australian" misquoted National Party senator Sandy Macdonald. The quote stated, "Syria is a country that has been a bastard state for nearly forty years," but should have read, "Syria is a country that has been a Baathist state for nearly forty years." "The Australian" regrets any embarrassment caused by the error.