Kerry calls on Bush to take responsibility for Iraq prison scandal

[Tellurian]

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry called on President George W. Bush to take "appropriate responsibility" for the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and issue a personal apology if warranted.

But Kerry, who is running neck and neck with Bush in polls ahead of the November 2 election, suggested the Republican had not gone far enough.

"The president of the United States needs to offer the world an explanation and needs to take appropriate responsibility, and if that includes apologizing for the behavior of those soldiers and what happened, we ought to do that," he said.

He said the scandal "undermines America's own efforts in the region. It has the potential of putting our troops, the rest of them, in further jeopardy. It can increase acts of terror against America and Americans."

"We've got to have the facts," he said. "I want to know, as I think Americans do, is this isolated? Does it go up the chain of command? Who knew what, when?"

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040505/ts_alt_afp/us_iraq_vote_prisoners&cid=1506&ncid=2043

[Tellurian]

1. Kerry needs to compose his own apology, as a presidential nominee...

voicing his own feelings, from the perspective of a presidential hopeful, in the wake of the Iraqi scandal.

[Emboldened Chimp]

3. It's not his responsibilty

Chimpy is the commander in chief, not Kerry. Chimpy owes the apology.

[Tellurian]

6. I know...But the PR would be magnetic...

And virtually perceived in a presidential role..

where everyone is sick and tired of cleaning up after Bush's mistakes
and unwilling to listen to anymore of Bushes Lies.

heh- at this point, he could virtually hijack the presidency.

[Just Me]

2. *ahem* He is wasting his breath. n/t

[stellanoir]

4. ah. . .

the guy is incapable of taking responsibility for any of the innumerable disasters he has created. . .

Harkin

more executions in Texas

a trashed economy, environment. and school systems in Texas

a skewed election

ignoring a terrorist threat

faulty intelligence

no casus belli

a totally botched occupation

stupid rhetoric

a permanant end to habeus corpus

heinous violations of human rights

creating more anti American sentiment than ever before

a never ending war

and on and on and on it goes

but he can't think of a single mistake. . .?

[peterh]

5. What??? The twit take responsibility???

He’s already passing the buck….circling the wagons….and Rummy isn’t inside….never mind that everyone had a report on abuses on their desk a couple of months ago…unread….


Bush Dissatisfied With Way He Learned Of Iraq Photos-CNN
NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--U.S. President George W. Bush told Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld on Wednesday that he wasn't satisfied with how he learned of the
photos showing prisoner abuse in Iraq, the Cable News Network reports, citing an
unnamed White House official.
Bush met with Rumsfeld on Wednesday at the White House. During that meeting,
Bush complained to Rumsfeld that he was essentially blindsided when the photos
were first released by CBS News last week, CNN's source said.
Gen. Richard B. Myers called CBS anchor Dan Rather eight days before the
report ran, asking for extra time for the military to respond, according to Jeff
Fager, executive producer of "60 Minutes II."
But neither Myers nor anyone else at the Defense Department informed Bush of
the existence of the photos, and the president told Rumsfeld he was displeased
by that, CNN reported.
Rumsfeld didn't learn about the images until CBS aired them last Wednesday, a
senior White House official told the Associated Press on Wednesday.

[Tellurian]

7. This sounds like another: "BUSH KNEW" and did nothing about it! nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Worst Bush Knew

and by his inaction encouraged it.

[Eurobabe]

11. So then he lied tonight on Al Hura (Lehrer rebroadcast)??

He mentioned something to the effect that abuse was being investigated in January?

Bu$h is so far in over his head in this job, its not funny anymore...

[Tellurian]

14. Bush is going to get caught up this time..

Rumy and Wolfawitz were there between Nov and Jan.

It is impossible for them to claim they were unaware.

They were there to verify the reports of how bad things were.

Apparently, in their opinion, things were ok...weren't bad enough to halt or make any changes!

[9215]

8. Brilliant! Kerry framed his statement in terms of national security. nt

[Bandit]

10. "Who knew what, when?"

Americans want to know.

[NMDemDist2]

12. Bandit what river is that on your sig line?

it's beautiful!

[gratuitous]

13. Those pictures are from January, fer crissakes

Did Rumsfeld just hope they'd go away? Never see the light of day? And why hasn't Rumsfeld or Gen. Myers taken the time to read the Taguba report? What's been so important to them that they haven't done that before now? Both Rumsfeld and Myers claim they can't comment on the report because they haven't read it!

Incredible. But both men will keep their jobs. Chimpy won't apologize because it would be like asking him to dunk a basketball unassisted on a regulation hoop. It's just not physically possible for him.

[Moderator]

15. duplicate

discuss here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=533132