Bush to Discuss Prisoner Abuse With Arab Media

Fox News online ^ | May 04, 2004 | FOX News

[Neenah]

WASHINGTON — President Bush (search) has granted interviews to Arab news outlets in an effort to temper rising fury over images of American troops abusing Iraqi prisoners.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Tuesday night that Bush will conduct two 10-minute interviews with the U.S.-sponsored Al-Hurra television network and the Arab network Al Arabiya.

"This is an opportunity for the president to speak directly to the people in Arab nations and let them know that the images that we all have seen are shameless and unacceptable," McClellan said.

"These images do not represent what America stands for, nor do they represent the high standards of conduct that our military is committed to upholding," he continued. "What occurred was wrong, and it will not be tolerated by America."

He declined to say why Bush will not interview with the Arab network Al-Jazeera (search).

The Bush administration has promised to bring U.S. troops having anything to do....cont.

[Neenah]

???? Please speak to America too, Mr. President.

[Mo1]

He declined to say why Bush will not interview with the Arab network Al-Jazeera (search).

shall we guess why??

[Mo1]

???? Please speak to America too, Mr. President

Why???

Are you blaming the entire military for the actions of 6 people???

[victoryatallcosts]

The people in question who were allegedly "tortured" are terrorists. Don't people get that? Death and eternity in hell is far too good for them.

They're worse than animals. Animals, at least, deserve to be treated with compassion even when it is necessary to kill them. These alleged people are lower than ants. They're scum. They're shit. They deserve worse treatment than shit. They're sub-human trash that deserves neither or respect, nor or compassion, nor our mercy.

They should be tortured for whatever information they may have and then executed or, perhaps, used as beasts of burden and worked to death. They deserve nothing from us but violence and pain. They're utterly worthless creatures that deserve to be treated in the worst way imaginable.

In fact, by giving these alleged men the status of human beings, we are demeaning humanity as a whole.

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Now, of course, I realize that the President has to account for the political dimensions of this- but still. This is a waste of time and resources. Who cares what happens to these "people"? Bury them alive or let someone slowly dismember them. I don't care what happens to them so long as they end up dead.

If, as is now being reported, they were being treated this way as a part of a program of interrogation, then these soliders did absolutely nothing wrong at all.

Hell, look at the comments that some of these prisoners have been making. Humilating Moslems in such a way sounds like it might just work.

Aren't the left always telling us that we have to learn more about foreign cultures? Well, perhaps we have.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I can't believe that Bush is giving the Arab media scumdogs the time of day.

Maybe GW ought to ask them why they didn't give a flying crap about Saddam murdering millions of his own citizens, including the nerve-gassing of 40,000 Kurds, and Saddam's theft of billions of dollars from Kuwait after his soldiers raped and torture-murdered tens of thousands of Kuwaiti citizens.

The Arab media doesn't blink whenever a govt. like Syria kills 50,000 of its citizens in an uprising or a Rwanda happens, but they're all kinds of horrified that a dozen Americans abused some prisoners.

[Neenah]

Awwww come on !! No, I am not. I thought I was doing a good thing by getting this up. I think many Americans would like to hear from the President on this. His voice would do more good than the million camera hogs we have seen !

[Jenya]

Notice that Senator Flipper hasn't weighed in on this story. He's smart in that respect because it will open the door to his Vietnam "war atrocities". Whether his story is real or not, it's a can of worms for him either way.

[epigone73]

W should simply tell them;

'these acts are abhorrent to all decent people, and we will not tolerate them in any form. however, for bloody-handed butchers and murderers, there's plenty more where that came from."

[oceanview]

I don't fault Bush for this - its a necessary PR move. its hard to fault the arab press, when our own US media and the american left is doing the same thing.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

"Lemmee tell ya'll somethin' about Texas justice..."

[RedBloodedAmerican]

I think he should say "Yep, Adobe Photoshop really rocks!"

[Mo1]

I'm not knocking about putting up the article

I understand why he is addressing the Iraqi people .. it's to reassure them these abuses will be dealt with

I just see no need for the President is address the American people about this.

He's already spoken about it and he has already stated his feelings on the matter

If the American people are going to fault the entire military after all they have done for all of us for the actions of 6 jerks .. Then shame on us

[Parmy]

I agree. I am sick and tired of hearing the word Islamic and Islam in general. If I never hear those words again, it will be too soon.

[saquin]

OK, I was ready to shoot these prison guards when this first came out... but now I just feel like the Arab world and Arab media are going overboard. Can you smell the hypocrisy? Not a peep from the Arab media about Saddam's mass graves, but a little nudity and humiliation and you'd think the U.S. soldiers had been prying off fingernails, dipping people in acid and slaughtering their first-born child in a ritual sacrifice. I know these soldiers were wrong and stupid and must pay but, sheesh, how much are we expected to prostrate ourselves and beg for forgiveness?

[oceanview]

there is no "american people", we are a divided nation, and will be divided on this issue as well. the media sees a chance to portray the military, whom they "loathe" to use Bill Clinton's famous word, in a bad light.

[Texas Eagle]

Have the bastards and bastardette who perpetrated this disgrace been kicked out of the military yet?

[Eurotwit]

I agree. It has started to be REALLY annoying.

[oceanview]

its going to get worse tomorrow. supposedly the report is being leaked tonight, Hersh is strutting his stuff, the media will report every ALLEGATION as fact tomorrow. rapes, use of dogs, you name it.

[Mo1]

there is no "american people", we are a divided nation, and will be divided on this issue as well

We may be divided on many issues .. but imo .. when it comes to our national security and the brave work our military is doing .. the majority agree

The 30-33% are the whacked left who hated america even when Clinton was president