Bush Apologizes for Iraqi Prison Abuse

AP ^ | Thu, May 06, 2004 | AP

[Eurotwit]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) told Jordan's King Abdullah on Thursday he was sorry for the humiliation suffered by Iraqi prisoners who have been abused by their American jailers.

"I told him I was sorry for the humiliation suffered by the Iraqi prisoners and the humiliation suffered by their families," the Republican president said during a Rose Garden appearance with Abdullah.

[irishlass]

I'm betting this apology won't be enough to satisfy the media. Any takers?

No Thanks, I'm not that stupid. The left smells blood in the water and this apology is going to fuel their fire. I predict the left's response will be something like this, "See we told you the administration was at fault," and the calls for Rumsfeld's head will grow louder with each passing day. Hope I'm wrong, but I doubt it.

[JFC]

IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT PRESIDENT BUSH DOES OR DOESN' DO IT IS NEVER ENOUGH FOR THE MEDIA, THE LEFT, THE RIGHT.

HE DID WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS RIGHT... THE SAID HE WAS SORRY, AS THE LEADER OF THIS WAR. IT WAS IMHO, THE CORRECT THING. I ADORE RUSH, BUT I CALL RUSH, JUST WRONG ON HIS OUTRAGE ON THIS.

God has Blessed us ... with President George W. Bush and I thank God for him today and each day.

[cwb]

One prisoner isn't just seeking compensation for his suffering...he now wants to move to America and get citizenship. Wow...after complaining about his humiliations, he wants to live among those who humiliated him.

[linn37]

Check out Boxer on the Senate floor right now, she claims that Bush and Rumsfield threw out the Geneva convention and are operating on their own rules.

[KJacob]

Tell us what you really think.

(Actually you made a very good point.)

[cvq3842]

I have mixed emotions about this. I think what the few "rotten apples" who mistreated the prisoners did was wrong, and I think the administration is doing everything it can to make things right. Then again, diplomatically "smoothing things over" and appearing craven and weak-willed are two different things, with a thin line separating them. I hope Bush is walking it effectively. This is one situation where I may just have to put my trust in Bush and keep watching to see how it plays out. that's why "character matters" in choosing a President.

While we're at it, I have to echo the thoughts of another poster. Has ANYONE ever apologized to us for 9/11, which was a million times worse than what we're talking about today? How about each and every terrorist attack you could name. Hell, go back through our whole history - how many apologies, not to mention thanks, do we EVER get? I think Tony blair apologized, tongue-in-cheek, for the buring of the White House by the British in 1814 when he addressed the Congress last year. And we got the Statue of Liberty from France - a nice gift, even if given by feckless, back-stabbing fair weather "allies."

Where did all this touchy-feely "apology" stuff come from? Another legacy of the Clinton years? DON'T PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW DANGEROUS THE WORLD IS, AND HOW WE NEED TO BE STRONG FIRST AND FOREMOST?

The world should be thanking us constantly, rather than taunting us like we're the rich kid on the block who only wants to be friends. America is not perfect. No country is. but we're far better than almost any other one could name. Other countries like to see us squirm for many reasons, one of which is jealousy.

[JFC]

Rummy did not do that to those Iraqi's. The people who did it are to blame. Our military is far from weak!

[AppyPappy]

If this were Clinton, these same Bushbots would be complaining about the apology.

[GottaLuvAkitas1]

Ok. I get it; don't shout. We can have different opinions on this subject.

We both agree that Bush is a good man and we both can vote for him no matter which way he handles this situation.

[cvq3842]

Good point about getting the real story. we all remember the photo of the mayor of Saigon, I think, executing a young prisoner in the head back in 1968. As I recall, it was only years later, after the US had abandoned the Vietnamese and the helicopters lifted off the roof of the embassy, that we found out what a murderous pr*ck the "young man" executed was.

The pictures disturbed me. I've said it over and over. But the media reaction, as opposed to their reaction to other, REAL "atrocities," is more disturbing.

[cvq3842]

Politics interfering with foreign policy? I'm shocked, shocked! :)

You might be right. And I might be one of those people. I have to be honest.

I'm still not 100% sure how I feel about this. I AM sure, though, that I feel a lot more comfortable with Bush at the helm than someone like Clinton. So I am more willing to trust him (trust is not a word I like to use with politicians) and see where it goes.

Again, that could be a mistake too. But you made a good point.

[VOYAGER]

The media that questioned Bush's press secretary today were not looking for the truth but were obviously seeking to not only embarass the President but to destroy his presidency in any small way, they as liberals are so adept at, to feed their America last circling bottom feeder readers.

[sam_paine]

God has Blessed us ... with President George W. Bush

If God exists, then surely we get some credit in His eyes for choosing this leader. If He does not exist, then none of this really matters anyway.

[travelnurse]

With all due respect, Mr. President, I thoroughly agree with your apology, but, I think it would be nice if you reminded the Arab leaders that an apology is also needed from them for the mutilation and hanging of Americans of bridges in Iraq. Thank you.

[Beckwith]

DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW THESE PICTURES GOT TO THE MEDIA?

WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF THESE PHOTOS? COULD THEY HAVE ORIGINATED OR BEEN STAGED BY SOMEONE WITH AN AGENDA?

[GottaLuvAkitas1]

Yup, but please don't hold your breath Mr. P. because we need you around for 4 more years. :O)

I think this is a good topic to talk about. I like seeing everyones views on this subject. Though it doesn't really matter what we think. The one thing we all have in common is we want tot keep Bush.

[Morgan in Denver]

The left, Democrats, will not accept any Bush apology.

The right, Republicans, will think Bush made a mistake by doing it.

The middle, about third of the country who will be voting in November, will view the apology as acceptable under the circumstances and it will help them view Bush in a more favorable light. These people will also reject the Democrats harping over the issue, which will further distance them from supporting Kerry or the Democrats.

It will further prove the hypocrisy of the press as they continue to use it as an issue, thus demonstrating to everyone how the media cannot be trusted since they are in bed with the Democrats. (With notable exceptions, including the Wall Street Journal's editorial department, FOX News, various talk show hosts, and true patriots here on Free Republic.)

[anonymous_user]

Great. Now the world can point and laugh at our atrophied testicles too.

[RetiredArmy]

The leftist press will now say that Bush has harmed us overseas by doing this. They will spin it off some other direction. Count on it.

[Judith Anne]

From someone at the Department of Defense, according to what I have read here...

I remind everyone about Senator Rockefeller, who wrote a memo to dems on the Senate Select Intelligence Committee that they should choose items to declassify and use against the president to harm his re-election. Secretary Rockefeller neither resigned, as he was called upon to do, nor did he apologize. Sen. Zell Miller as much as said that was TREASON in wartime, but that didn't faze Rockefeller. I am certain that this is where it's coming from

I think we are witnessing some of his work here. And I would not be surprised if Democrat money either created or paid for those pictures, so some mule could sell them to the media.

I also wouldn't be surprised if some of them were photoshopped. A couple of them look like it, to me.

And consider how much Secretary Rumsfeld probably knows about the Oil for Food program from documents discovered in Baghdad...I bet there are some lefties with connections to those with hands in the UN till...they sure aren't calling for Kofi Annan to resign, are they? Because they know Kofi holds the cards on them.

Scum! (with apologies to one-celled organisms everywhere...)