Rice Apologizes for Iraqi Prisoner Abuse

[PfcHammer]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040505/pl_nm/iraq_abuse_apology_dc_1

Rice Apologizes for Iraqi Prisoner Abuse

1 hour, 26 minutes ago Add Politics to My Yahoo!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites)'s national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites), has apologized for the U.S. abuse of Iraqi prisoners as the White House scrambled to stem growing Arab outrage.

"We are deeply sorry for what has happened to these people, and what the families must be feeling. It's just not right. And we will get to the bottom of what happened," Rice told Al-Arabiya television in an interview on Tuesday.

Bush was to address the situation in interviews with two Arabic-language television networks on Wednesday at the White House.

Images of Iraqi prisoners stripped of their clothes and being humiliated and abused have badly damaged U.S. prestige and credibility, especially in the Arab world.

<whack>

[Caution]

1. These people deserve an apology but so do the 9/11 families.

Where is that apology? If I were a family member I'd be friggin livid.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

25. Obviously that's way down her to-do list

it's so phony. Why does she even try?

[xultar]

2. Yeah, Ol' Grul can apologize to the Iraqis but not to her own people n/t

[yellowcanine]

3. What about an apology to the U.S. soldiers and the American people

for allowing this to happen because of a dereliction of duty (civilian oversight), Mr. President?

[ugarte]

4. Bring back the dead ones while you're at it, Condi

If anybody can do it, you can.

[SEpatriot]

5. The festering recriminations tour begins

Get on the bus, Condi! GW and the gang can tour the Mideast and grovel and wring their hands until America politely forgives them and all involved are issued a stern letter.

[Alpharetta]

6. It's her scapegoat job.

Bremer gets "authority" so he's the backup scapegoat.

I guess Tenet will be busy taking blame for something else this week.

[mzmolly]

7. Wow, that's more than the victims of 911 got.

Oohhhh, an apology, what an upstanding administration :eyes:

[riverwalker]

8. "It's not right"

Ooooohh, thats a powerful condemnation. No, Condi. "Not right" is for things like littering, or having a steak too well done, those are "not right". Beating someone to death with a rock, rape, torture and sodomy, require a more visceral anger. At least, if it really upsets you, which I doubt. I heard Powell say today "that kind of misbehaving will not be tolerated". "Misbehaving", like throwing spitballs in class.

[ejcastellanos]

9. Why is Rice apologizing?

Shouldn't Powell be apologizing as the Secretary of State? It seems that this is an international affairs issue that should be addressed by the State Department. Why is the National Security Advisor apologzing?

Is Powell so on the outs with the administration that they can't even have him make an apology? Or is it possible that he is so disgusted from swimming in the excrement the administration puts him in to even come to their aid now?

I'm sure Condi know's GW's thoughts from one of their heart to heart, spousal conversations, but shouldn't Georgie boy's legitimate and legal wife, Laura be making the apologies in this case?

I haven't read the GQ article about Powell but it seems like he is effectively cut out of the loop now. They Clarked him.

I know many here hold Powell in great disregard for doing what he has done for the administration. But I get the feeling that perhaps he was a mitigating factor. Things may have been much worse if not for him. Now that he seems ostracized by the administration things may get worse.

[calimary]

13. Condi's just bush's backstage girl.

[amber dog democrat]

17. Damage Control - as if this will fix it.

Sorry Conda-sleeza, too little too late. And since she is just a pathological liar, who is going to believe her, but its worse if the Admin is silent.

But is this the NSAs role. I thougt the Secretary of state had this responsibility.

[Sparky McGruff]

23. Actually, Rumsfeld should be apologizing. And Bush.

Condi held ultimate responsibility for the intelligence failures on 9/11. She should apologize for that. But she's not in charge of the US military.

Powell made that assinine presentation to the UN in the lead-up to the Iraq war that was Chock-Full-O'-Lies. He should apologize for that. But, he's not in charge of the US military, either.

But, Rumsfeld and crew (e.g. Wolfowitz, Bremer, etc.) are responsible for the actions of the US military. They are responsible for setting the course of military action, and for overseeing the actions of those below them. They intentionally set up a system (with Guantanamo as a model) where interrogations and incarceration is outside of all laws and regulations. Not just the laws of the US constitution, but international law and US military law as well. They also apparently disregarded numerous warnings that abuses were occuring, choosing to "sweep them under the rug" and kept the illegal, unethical, and immoral detention and interrogations going full speed ahead.

They should be the ones apologizing. But, I don't want their apologies. I want them to lose their jobs. I want them to lose their comfortable pensions, and their bank accounts emptied to pay reparations. I want them to go on trial for their complicity. And, if it's not too much to ask, I want them in stocks in the public square, where I can throw rotten eggs at their smug and self-satisfied heads.

Bush should apologize for the actions of his administration that have disgraced our nation. The. Buck. Stops. Here.

But, instead, we get insincere apologies from people who weren't involved, and are not responsible.

[sonias]

An apology from this corrupt administration

This has got to be a first. They never admit any wrong and never take responsibility for anything. Guess there was just no way to blame this on Clinton huh?

Of course the right wing defense (Limbaugh and the like) is that hey those prisoners didn't lose any body parts, so how much torture was it really. And you need these prisoners to tell the truth to keep America safe, so these measures were necessary. So the new line defense on the right is, torture by the U.S. protects our freedoms. Torture equals freedom. That's Orwellian double speak at it's finest.

Yeah, tell it to the Iraqis. I sure wouldn't want to be a U.S. soldier in Iraq right now because the next hostage they acquire is going to get the same kind of treatment.


Sonia

[wabeewoman]

18. Its not really an apology

Look who they send to 'apologize?' She is the lyingest member of this lying administration. You can't believe a word out of her mouth so why would anyone think this was a sincere apology? bush or rumsfeld ought to be the ones apologizing...

[Bake]

19. Bush specifically REFUSED to apologize today!

Being Bush* means never having to say you're sorry.

Bake

[central scrutinizer]

10. Condi - you want to get to the bottom? look in the mirror

You and the rest of this maladministration spent years building up hate against Arabs and Muslims through lies and innuendo. You demonized them and used words like "evil" to describe them and suck up to your fundie base. You constantly linked Iraq to 9/11 and urged revenge against the "terrorists". Of course, you were abetted by the somnolent American media who dutifully parrotted every lie and innuendo. How else do you explain that a solid majority of Americans believe that Iraq was linked to 9/11 and that WMD have been found? This is on you and the rest of your criminal cohorts. You goaded basically good people into committing atrocities. Since you obviously have no conscience or sense of responsibility, we can expect your criminal conspiracy to round up a few scapegoats to take the fall. You know you will probably get away with it since the corporate media can be relied upon to quietly let it drop. And don't get me started on the use of mercenaries and "contractors" to mask the horrible lack of planning for post-Saddam Iraq. In case there is still some misunderstanding - I detest you.

[calimary]

11. You know, even these words get to me:

"as the White House scrambled to stem growing Arab outrage" -- I mean, Dear God! Just consider the picture those words paint for us. We should have a White House that's now "scrambling" to do damage control - YET AGAIN?

I mean, shouldn't people who rise to the level of White House employment be among the sharpest knives in the drawer? SHOULD we, indeed, be "scrambling" either to make amends, or stop the hemmorhaging, or SOMETHING? Should we really even BE in such a position? EVER?

What's that they say about "...your tax dollars at work"?

<whack> sorta says it all, doesn't it?

Dear God, help us all!

[Robbien]

15. They are scrambling now because this apology is way too late

They should have apologized from Day One. Everyone in the world has offerred their apologies to the Iraqis and Bush smirks out only a "disgusted" remark.

[readmylips]

16. Sounds like: Got their Hair on Fire....

Lines from Richard Clarke.

Those bush people can't speak from their souls and conscience, they're pathological criminals. Greed, racism, and power ate up their humanity. Yet, they present themselves and born again christians.

[fryguy]

12. "was" to be interviewed by two Arabic-language netowrks?

does this mean it didn't happen?

[SodoffBush]

14. an indication of how freaked out this administration is over repercusions?

I don't blame them.

The bullshit from Bush's mouth on Arabic TV (he has done everything possible to prevent accountability for 9-11) will not impress the Iraqi people.

[Cronus Protagonist]

20. That story should be illustrated with this picture

[Solly Mack]

21. Was she apologizing on behalf of her "husband"?

well, at least she did apologize...I guess.

[AspenRose]

22. "My husb....I mean, the president and I are sorry"

[susu369]

24. "These people"

my b/s antenna always bleeps when I hear those words...what utter arrogance.

"We are deeply sorry for what has happened to these people."

Bu$h and his evil cabal will be knocked down from their high horses - it's just a matter of time.

[UTUSN]

26. Could RICE "Apologize" for Shrub AND Herself?????

Sing "Old Man River", Condo and then e.s.a.d.

[leesa]

27. Do they feel real bad about launching an unprovoked attack against

a disarmed nation? They murdered tens of thousands...can Iraq get an apology for that?