White House apologizes for using 'crusade' to describe war on terrorism

AP ^ | September 18, 2001

[Ganymede]

White House apologizes for using 'crusade' to describe war on terrorism

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush regrets using the word "crusade," with all its historical connotations of religious war, to describe his campaign against terrorists, his spokesman said Tuesday.

Bush only meant to say that his is a "broad cause" to stamp out terrorism worldwide, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said.

"I think to the degree that that word has any connotations that would upset any of our partners or anybody else in the world, the president would regret if anything like that was conveyed. But the purpose of his conveying it is in the traditional English sense of the word, it's a broad cause," said Fleischer.

On Sunday, Bush had told reporters: "This crusade, this war on terrorism is going to take a while."

With that comment, he stoked suspicion in some Arab and Muslim quarters where crusade is a loaded term that recalls the Christians' medieval wars against Muslims in the Holy Land. Bush is trying to rally Arab nations to join an international coalition against the perpetrators of last week's twin terrorist strikes in New York and Washington.

"I think what the president was saying had no intended consequences for anybody, Muslim or otherwise, other than to say that this is a broad cause that he is calling on America and the nations around the world to join," Fleischer said.

[Ingtar]

They are not afraid to use the word "jihad."

[Uncle Fud]

Deus Vult, baby.

[OWK]

They are not afraid to use the word "jihad."

That's because they are fighting a jihad.

We on the other hand, are fighting terrorists. Their faith is not the issue. Their actions are.

Get it?

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

Eisenhower'r WWII memoirs were "Crusade in Europe." That word has broad implications.

[gcruse]

- President Bush regrets using the word "crusade,"
with all its historical connotations of religious war,
to describe his campaign against terrorists, his spokesman said Tuesday.

More malaprops.  Where is Peggy Noonan?

[lodwick]

Too Funny!

[OWK]

Dear fan of capital letters,

A crusade is a religious war. A jihad is also a religious war. But (pay attention, this is the tricky part) while our enemies may very well be fighting a jihad (religious war)... we as Americans, are NOT.

We are fighting a war to defend our nation against terrorists. The religion of the terrorists is inconsequential. The actions (and not the religion) of the terrorists is what will bring down our wrath upon them.

[Revolting cat!]

No freaking apologies! War isn't about parsing words!

[jrherreid]

Does that mean we ain't fenna get medieval on they asses?

[Mr. Bird]

From Webster's, definition #3:

A vigorous concerted movement for a cause or against an abuse. See Synonyms at campaign

Stop apologizing.

[MizSterious]

So...now we must also be p.c. in fighting wars? Sheesh.

[NittanyLion]

Ari should have told them his intent was obvious - the word was not used in a religious connotation. Then he should have told them if the best thing they have to do is parse Bush's words they can all go to hell.

[RJCogburn]

Absolutely a poor choice of word by Bush.

It's okay to acknowledge a mistake when one is made.

Really. It's okay.

[Sir Gawain]

Give me a break. PC still runs rampant.

[OWK]

Think first. Then speak.

[SJackson]

Eisenhower'r WWII memoirs were "Crusade in Europe."

Most Arabs were on the other side of that Crusade too.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Let's see. GWB is leader of the free world, leading the USA through a time of unprecedented peril, that will be (hopefully) written about in the history books centuries from now (if there are still people around to write those books and to read them). And he just happened to utter the word crusade? Right. Just like he just happened to think of the old west posters that said "Wanted Dead or Alive". And just like George Bush Sr. could never pronounce the word "Saddam" correctly and just like Winston Churchill could never quite get the pronunciation of "Nazi" correct. So Ari Fleisher comes out and says, "hah, hah. So sorry. Didn't really mean it". I think GWB chose his words pretty carefully and meant what he said.

[SAMWolf]

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty- loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Must not have to worry about hurt feelings back in 1944.

[OWK]

Given the use of the word "jihad" by our enemies (indicating their intent to attack us for religious purposes) I think it was quite wise and quite prudent of Bush to make it clear that he did not mean to indicate his intent to conduct a "crusade" (religious war) in retaliation.

This isn't about religion as far as Americans are concerned.

It's about terrorist animals.

[RJCogburn]

This isn't about religion as far as Americans are concerned.

On the mark, as usual.

[PISANO]

Politically Correct BS!! I am sick of it! Word police....thought police when will this nonsense end?

[Mr. Bird]

I agree, but clarification need not be an apology. In the current climate, I would prefer a scoffing reply bordering on disgust.

When the bullets start flying, I'm sure our boys will have plenty of non-PC things to say and write on their artillery shells. Will the press want to discuss that too?

[RJCogburn]

Politically Correct BS!!

No, it was rather a politically foolish word choice. Why choose a word that to Islam suggests a course of action motivated by something other than justice, security, self defense? Why give our enemies another tool to use to inflame those who might otherwise be fence-sitters? Why choose a word that adds no advantage to us in its use?

[Truthsayer20]

Christian world != Western Civilization

[LibertarianLiz]

They are not afraid to use the word "jihad."

Correct! I like the word "crusade", especially since they are declaring a "jihad (holy war)" against us.

I am becoming more and more disturbed by this trend I am seeing back to "sensitivity" and "political correctness". We need to dump that garbage and do what needs to be done --- none of which will be either sensitive or pc.

If we do this thing right, then we are going to have to do a lot of things that we are not going to like doing; but that must be done. My fear is that we are going to have grief counseling, pop a prozac, yawn --- business as usual.

[OWK]

In a narrow sense you are correct, but more broadly this is a war against the Christian world (Western Civilization, if you prefer) and "crusade" was an entirely appropriate phrase, at least imho.

From our enemy's perspective, it may very well be a war against the Christian world. That's why they call it a Jihad. But all Muslim's are NOT our enemies. Terrorists and evil doers are our enemies.

Our response as a nation is not against Islam. It is against those who have harmed us, or seek to do us harm.

This is not a religious crusade.

[uncitizen]

Here we go again. Apologizing for a word. This is sickening. Words don't hurt anything. Jets hitting buildings hurts something.

[OWK]

I agree, but clarification need not be an apology. In the current climate, I would prefer a scoffing reply bordering on disgust.

While I have sometimes been critical of Bush, I think his decision to recognize the potential connotations associated with the word, and even to apologize for it, show a great strength of character.

[Osinski]

I am up to here with this friggin political correctness. I'm sorry a sikh was killed today by some ignorant bastard who thought he was a muslim. That doesn't mean that we as a nation aren't under attack within and without by terrorists and extremists who happen to be Islamic, trying to cram the jihad down our throats. I say HELL no. This week, I am suspicious of non-American arabs. This is not racism, it is common sense. The rules have changed. This is a war. Had Bush not shut down air traffic the horror would have be unfathomable. As it stands, we as Americans are threatened at home and abroad by muslim extremists. If I say I'm on a crusade to protect me and mine from this scourge and some muslim is offended, too friggin bad. Get a clue that although Bush may want to tone down the rhetoric, I'm not ready to. Hell there are 5,000 people whose families are just getting the realization that their loved ones aren't coming home ever again. I give a shit about offended.

[2ndMostConservativeBrdMember]

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[Revolting cat!]

Think first. Then speak.

Better yet, consult a dictionary, then speak (emphasis mine):

"crusade 1 sometimes any of the military expeditions which Christians undertook from the 11th to the end of the 13th cent. to recover the Holy land from the Muslims. 2 vigorous, concerted action for some cause or idea, or against some abuse"

--- Webster's New World Dictionary of American English, Second College Edition, Macmillan, USA

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

Did not take us long to fall into PC line. The use of the word may have not been the wisest, but the media needs to get over it. A slip of the tongue. Will ABC censor that story or will we hear about it ad nauseum.

[dead]

Despite the headline, there is no quoted text of an apology. There is the quoted statement that Bush "regrets" that people are reading other meanings into the statement that he did not wish to convey.

"Crusade" was not the most appropriate word for Bush to use, and "apologizes" was not the most appropriate word for the headline writer to use either.

[Rustynailww]

this is a sign that we are weaseling out of our duty. the real war will be by the goverment on our freedoms.

[The_Reader_David]

On behalf of Eastern Christendom, I accept our President's apology.

I remind my fellow FReepers that "Crusade" does not ring very well in the ears of Orthodox Christians. We remember the seige of Constantinople by the First Crusade, the Sack of Constantinople by the Fourth, and the Teutonic Knights in Russia, and the replacement of Orthodox bishops in the Patriarachates of Antioch and Jerusalem by force, even though they were in communion with Rome at the time. (The Pope of Rome graciously apologized recently, and we were very happy that his apology was broad enough to include all I have mentioned, not just the Sack of Constantinople.)

[JMJ333]

We on the other hand, are fighting terrorists. Their faith is not the issue. Their actions are.

Get it?

It is a matter of faith to me. I understand that when Islamic fundametalists celebrate mass murder in the streets that we are up against more than just terrorism.

[Southern Federalist]

I don't think Bush is worried he hurt someone's feelings. I think he is worried that a slip of the tongue might give the enemy a talking point that has real power in the Arab world and thus make our armed forces' task harder. The idea is to win a war, not get emotional satisfaction by getting in PC's face. But I agree the domestic media should give it a rest.

Bush was surely not thinking about reestablishing the kingdom of Outremer when he said Crusade. I know that American forgetfulness of history has its downside, but I must say I rather like living in a culture where I'm not expected to be touchy about things that happened a thousand years ago. I guess I could be bitter that Charlemagne probably baptized some of my ancestors at swords' point, but it's nice that we've had some other history since then.

[goldieagua]

first off he didn't apologize. second, i don't care what the dictionary says, the word "crusade" has very different conotations in the middle east. i cringed when i first heard him use that word, b/c it is like swatting a hornets nest...no need to create moer enemies than we already have. if we want to build a broad coalition then we must be careful every step of the way. gw's statement was a mistake and i am glad he recognized it.

OWK, it's good to see some voices of reason on this site.

[nothingnew]

Then he should have told them if the best thing they have to do is parse Bush's words they can all go to hell.

Sounds good to me...

FMCDH

[CubicleGuy]

The country that apologizes first, loses.

Did France beat us to the punch, at least? (Technically, though, a surrender really can't be called an apology, I suppose...)

[tm22721]

How about bringing him out in full armor with a horse, lance and shield ?

BUMP

[CubicleGuy]

I remind my fellow FReepers that "Crusade" does not ring very well in the ears of Orthodox Christians.

Let's just issue an "extermination order" instead, then (helps to know a little of the history of Missouri here).

That should only tick off a handful of Mormons...