[mcg1969]

This is exactly right. I heard the sound bite. He did not apologize for the actions, only for their consequences.

"I'm sorry for the humiliation that they feel... I'm sorry that people will get the wrong impression of the United States..."

This would be like shooting someone and saying, "I'm sorry that the bullet wound is painful."

It will indeed be interesting to see how both sides spin this one...

[TN4Liberty]

This would be like shooting someone and saying, "I'm sorry that the bullet wound is painful."

Would it make more sense to say, "I am sorry I shot you?" The victim is still wounded.

For my way of thinking, the word "apology" is way overdone. People use the word who don't mean it (e.g. X42), and the world swoons. Another says "I am sorry" instead of "I apologize" and is attacked for it.

I have always thought that one could only apologize for what he did, not for what someone else did. I can't apologize for you, but I can express sorrow if you did something to someone.

[rwfromkansas]

"I told him I was sorry for the humiliation suffered by the Iraqi prisoners..."

He apologized for the actions of our soldiers.

So what? It was the right thing to do.