President George W. Bush to offer apology on 2 Arab Televison station networks

5/5/2004

[bray]

Just because there were prisoners that did not belong there does not mean these were not the worst criminals. If they were captured bombmakers, would you be so sympathetic?? I know they are most likely alterboys but???

Pray for W and Our Troops

[carton253]

kjam22...

There are many experts who will agree with you and many experts who don't.

I think the administration has chosen the right path. We have to try...

[Wait4Truth]

This is just the typical knee-jerk reaction of the usual suspects, it seems. They read what the media SAYS the President will say and even when he doesn't say it, they act as if he did. It's disgraceful.

[Monty22]

You know who else tried to act like this until more recently? Israel.. All the pandering must stop.

[Hildy]

Really. I'm not entirely sure I am. These people want to kill us and innocent Arabs. If humiliating them is the only way to get information that may stop the murder of countless innocent people, then, so be it. And if you're following this, that's what the people in charge are saying, that the word came down to do what was necessary to get these people to talk. There's always more to the story. I think Bush's numerous explanations and apologies to the Arab world are getting to be counterproductive.

[Monty22]

"It reinforced the fear they have of us."

And this is bad *WHY*?!!?

You don't understand the middle east/islamic mindset whatsoever.

[Miss Marple]

Attention!! It is not excessive if he wants to directly address the Iraqi people! Do you think that the Iraqis, see statements the president makes on Fox TV here when it is the middle of the night there?

Giving interviews to two Arab stations (but not, I am glad to see, Al Jazeerah) indicates to the Iraqis the seriousness with which we take this incident.

[Cap Huff]

This will be kept in the public eye continually regardless of whether GWB does a couple of interviews today or not. This one is only just starting.

[Constitution Day]

Ah, that's it. Thanks.

[Eurotwit]

I appologize for being tactless. See I appologized whilst the president did not :-)

But, seriously, it came out wrong. It is I who might be utterly wrong.

But, I am a Norwegian, and it is also my birthright to speak my mind, and this birthright comes from a higher authority than the CIC.

But, I concede that I might just as well be utterly wrong. I must admit that I felt a bit odd writing that other post, because it whiffed a little bit of appeasement.

Yet, I think calling the presidents strategy appeasement is wrong. All muslims are NOT the enemy. Not yet. Do I think that Islam is a healthy religion? No it is cultish, silly, and quite often evil. It wasn't for the evil part it would actually be quite funny. I read a discussion on a Norwegian-Pakistani board where they discussed the Koranic verses regarding wife beating. I think the "moderate" interpretation of Islam at the moment regarding this boils down to that the man can gently poke his wife with a toothbrush!!! :-)

But, all of islam is not yet the enemy. And if anything, I think arab culture which off course is intertwined with Islam is also a huge problem, but we do have allies. Just look at the pools coming out of Iraq. Even the recent negative ones.

In a way there is already democracy in Iraq. In the southern parts of Iraq there has been many local elections this spring. In just about all cases (to my knowledge: All cases) secularist, modernizers actually won, and the clerics were kicked out.

Now, I half suspect that these development at the polling booths is why al Sadr decided to attempt his power grab.

I believe the president is speaking to THESE people, not to the fanatics. And, I also think it seems like a good strategy. The way I read the situation, it seems like the current "neo-con" strategy is ALL about forcing change on Islam. It is taking on Islam right in its heartland. But, no one should be fooling themselves about the task. It is unlike anything ever attempted. It will take more than one generation.

What do you suggest the President do?


As for Europe, I think we are in for a bumpy ride. I have to admit that I am terribly worried about the situation, but I am not just ready to discount my continent just yet.

Cheers.

[McGavin999]

Have you even seen the interviews? I just watched them on FOX. They were great. If you go back and read this thread, there were attacks on what he was doing before the interviews were even aired. The assumption that Bush was going to weaken us, instead of strenghten us, was overwhelming.

Anger is definitely a survival technique and fear has it's place, but reined in focused anger and tamped down fear is the only way we will survive. Shooting our guns without the enemy in site is just plain stupid.

[Miss Marple]

What in the waorld are you talking about? He only "talks the talk" and thinks that words are enough?

You are in a completely different universe.

[carton253]

You don't understand the middle east/islamic mindset whatsoever.

Wow... what an ignorant statement.

[blackie]

GWB did not apologize!

[Wait4Truth]

First of all, the President did NOT apologize. Second, what those soldiers did was wrong. The United States of America does not do these things - that's what makes us different. If we ignore our own values - if the President ignored the wrong-doing by these soldiers, we would be no different than those we hold up for ridicule. I cannot believe how some here think - just my opinion, of course.

[MJM59]

Yes, the soldiers in question dishonored their uniform and their country. But, it still is not cause for me as an American to feel sorry for these prisoners or make me feel apologetic. These people were in prison for a reason, and I do not think that it was for tax fraud. They were there because they would rather kill American GIs than look at one twice.

When we start seeing pictures of American GIs sawing the head off of a prisoner as was done to Daniel Pearl or torching a bunch of dead Iraqis as was done to the Blackwater employees, then I might feel something.

[Poohbah]

Just because there were prisoners that did not belong there does not mean these were not the worst criminals. If they were captured bombmakers, would you be so sympathetic?? I know they are most likely alterboys but???

I don't care if they are bomb-makers, you don't treat people like that. Or do you think that sodomizing someone with a broomstick is acceptable conduct, as long as the victim isn't in OUR tribe?

What separates us from the terrorist vermin in Iraq is that we are the good guys. That means that when our agents there do something wrong, we accept responisbility, repair the harm caused as best we can, and continue mission.

[Joe Hadenuf]

That's it. I'm done. The America I knew and love is gone. President Bush owes me an apology. HOW DARE HE apologize to the people who want nothing more than to see me dead. We have NOTHING to apologize for. Crap, crap, crap. Bush makes it so hard to support him.

We had people over there that treated prisoners like it was some kind of high school prank. It was disgusting watching those broads act like this was some kind of drunken party for 17 year olds. Kick their ass for info don't bother me, but this was absolutely over the top, and made of look like a bunch of perverted idiots.

That said, I find the President apologizing on world wide television to be extremely offensive. A simple statement of regret by someone down the military food chain over there would have been fine.

Here we are in this God forsaken POS country, as the daily death toll of our guys mounts, while we watch our people being being burned to death, as their torsos are drug through the streets, while these people spit and beat on them and hang them from bridges.

This is just to much to f-ing bear.

[Monty22]

Then why are you saying that them fearing us is negative?

[McGavin999]

No, I think you need to rein in your emotion and put your head to work instead. EDLINN would have been horrified at a statement being made without all the facts in, which is exactly what you did.