Posted on 06/18/2005 12:54:10 AM PDT by ambrose
Article Published: Saturday, June 18, 2005 - 12:00:00 AM PST
Senator issues apology for U.S.-Nazi comparison
By Rebecca Carroll, Associated Press
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.
Apology? The bad Senator appears to stand on his statements, he just regrets the disagreement.
The headline is incorrect. That's not an apology. If these were the words of Trent Lott saying he regretted if some people misunderstood his remarks about Strom Thurmond, the leftists would sense the blood in the water and demand a true apology.
I think this is how the GOP needs to be with this remark. It's no apology. It's "I'm sorry you misunderstood". Big difference, IMO. They need to press for a complete apology.
Left-wing Senator stands by U.S.-Nazi comparison
That headline would be a heck of a lot more accurate.
What did we "misunderstand"? He's calling us dumb.
Correct, a non-apology and AP disinformation to reduce the heat. Bush should charge him with sedition and request a warrant from justice for service when the Senate adjourns.
What the *L* is there to misunderstand...the traitor said quite clearly what he meant.
This idiot is trying to lay any blame on us for misunderstanding his vile remarks toward the military. Well Turban what about the vile insults to Jews, Gulag and Pol Pot victims?
No apology to read here move along.
You're right--he hasn't apologized. Liberals rarely do. Gotta keep the pressure on this twit.
I never feel like an idiot asking questions on FR, so I'll ask this one: what does the FBI has to do with Guantanamo? Are they overseeing it? Why are they writing e-mails about it? And to whom? I must be confused about the jurisdiction of the FBI vs. the CIA vs. Homeland Security vs. the DOD. I must be missing something in all this. Any help gratefully received.
Trust me, even top officials don't know. The "turf wars" that consolidation was supposed to eliminate is still there.
"A non apology. Note he regrets misunderstanding. Nowhere does he apologize for or retract his insane analogies between Club Gitmo and Auswitz or Vorkuta."
Sound anything like: "I MISLED the American people" rather than "I LIED to the American people". Democrats have a problem telling the truth, plain and simple.
And this was the number one whine since they couldn't specifically charge Tom Delay with anything they weren't doing themselves.
I think now they'll all try to glom onto the DSM crap. Speaking of which, I didn't see Jean Francois front and center with the moonbats Conyers, Waters and Lee.
I guess a simple congress critter is not worthy of his time.
Maybe Durbin should start wearing a Turbin.
Turbin Durbin ......I like it!!!!
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