Posted on 06/17/2005 4:35:18 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Friday that he regretted any misunderstandings caused by his comments earlier this week comparing American interrogators at Guantanamo Bay to Nazis. The White House, Senate Republicans and others had called for an apology after Durbin's comments Tuesday.
Durbin made the comparison after reading an FBI agent's report describing detainees at the Naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as being chained to the floor without food or water in extreme temperatures.
"If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime - Pol Pot or others - that had no concern for human beings," Durbin said Tuesday.
On Friday, Durbin tried to clarify the issue. "My statement in the Senate was critical of the policies of this Administration, which add to the risk our soldiers face," he said in a statement released Friday afternoon. "I have learned from my statement that historical parallels can be misused and misunderstood. I sincerely regret if what I said caused anyone to misunderstand my true feelings: Our soldiers around the world and their families at home deserve our respect, admiration and total support."
The Anti-Defamation League on Thursday had joined lawmakers and other groups in calling for an apology.
"Suggesting some kind of equivalence between (U.S. military) interrogation tactics demonstrates a profound lack of understanding about the horrors that Hitler and his regime actually perpetrated," the league said in a letter to Durbin that was posted to its Web site.
Sen. John Warner, R-Va., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Thursday: "I feel apologies are in order to the men and women of the Armed Forces. I do not ask it for myself."
All seven freshmen Republican senators also made a joint call Friday for an apology.
Durbin had said Thursday that he had never brought U.S. soldiers into the comparison in the first place, and that he was criticizing the approved interrogation methods described in an FBI memo obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
ON THE NET
Sen. Dick Durbin: http://durbin.senate.gov
White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov
Anti-Defamation League: http://www.adl.org/
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Nice try, No cigar, imo.
No, I think we understood perfectly, Senator.
There was no "misunderstanding," Dick.
No Sen Turbin your remarks were not misunderstood. In fact they were quite clear. You sir, are no gentlman and they make you at the very least guilty of Sedition!
Who got to him?
More of the same... "I support the troops BUT..."
We didn't misunderstand him at all. It's very clear what he meant.
I sincerely regret if what I said caused anyone to misunderstand my true feelings: Our soldiers around the world and their families at home deserve our respect, admiration and total support."
Is this guy still claiming this FBI agent e mailed him with this information? Has he checked out this agent?
What part of "American soldiers are acting like Nazis" did we miss, Senator Dhimmi?
It might not be a bad idea if Sen. Durbin and his brethren were forced to look at them again as well."
Oh, maybe..
"I support the troops...even if they are Nazi's, Stalinists and Pol Pot worshipers."- Dick Durbin
This game is called "hit and run."
This is gaining steam but the hour.
Dickie is going to get consumed by the backlash.
Never mind the risks our soldiers are going to face now, thanks to your "bullship" remarks that just encouraged the terrorists to no end, you friggin' mindless bonehead!
Durbin issues non-apology on Website ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1425299/posts
Posted a bit earlier today on FR.
:) I know, I still want to know who told him to shut up.
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