Text 13671, 81 rader
Skriven 2005-06-21 22:37:10 av John Hull (1:379/1.99)
  Kommentar till text 13670 av Jeff Binkley (1:226/600)
Ärende: Durbin
==============
21 Jun 05 21:45, Jeff Binkley wrote to All:

 JB> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050621/ap_on_go_co/guantanamo_durbin_
 JB> 3

 JB> Sen. Durbin Apologizes for Gitmo Remarks 

 JB> By GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer 
 JB> Tue Jun 21, 6:09 PM ET



 JB> WASHINGTON - Under fire from Republicans and some fellow Democrats, Sen. 
 JB> Dick Durbin apologized Tuesday for comparing American interrogators at 
 JB> the Guantanamo Bay prison camp to Nazis and other historically infamous 
 JB> figures. 

 JB> ADVERTISEMENT

 JB> "Some may believe that my remarks crossed the line," the Illinois 
 JB> Democrat said. "To them I extend my heartfelt apologies."

 JB> His voice quaking and tears welling in his eyes, the No. 2 Democrat in 
 JB> the Senate also apologized to any soldiers who felt insulted by his 
 JB> remarks.

 JB> "They're the best. I never, ever intended any disrespect for them," he 
 JB> said.

 JB> The apology came a week after Durbin, the Senate minority whip, quoted 
 JB> from an FBI agent's report describing detainees at the Naval base in a 
 JB> U.S.-controlled portion of Cuba as being chained to the floor without 
 JB> food or water in extreme temperatures.

 JB> "If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent 
 JB> describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you 
 JB> would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets 
 JB> in their gulags or some mad regime — Pol Pot or others — that had no 
 JB> concern for human beings," the senator said June 14.

 JB> The comment created a buzz on the Internet and among conservative talk 
 JB> radio hosts, but Durbin initially refused to apologize.

 JB> "This administration should apologize to the American people for 
 JB> abandoning the Geneva Conventions and authorizing torture techniques 
 JB> that put our troops at risk and make Americans less secure," he said the 
 JB> day after his initial comments.

 JB> By last Friday, Durbin was trying to clarify his comments, yet the White 
 JB> House and top Republicans including Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist 
 JB> refused to relent. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, in an interview 
 JB> scheduled for broadcast Wednesday on Fox News radio's "The Tony Snow 
 JB> Show," tried to equate the comment with actress Jane Fonda calling U.S. 
 JB> soldiers war criminals during a visit to North Vietnam in 1972.

 JB> On Tuesday, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley — a fellow Democrat — added his 
 JB> voice to the chorus of criticism, saying, "I think it's a disgrace to say 
 JB> that any man or woman in the military would act like that."

 JB> Durbin said in his apology: "I made reference to Nazis, to Soviets, and 
 JB> other repressive regimes. Mr. President, I've come to understand that's a 
 JB> very poor choice of words."

Poor choice of words indeed.  This son of a bitch knew exactly what he was
saying when he said it the first time.  The only reason he apologized is
because Mayor Daley, who swings considerable weight in the Democrat Party,
climbed on his case.  Daley has a son who recently joined the Army amid some
heavy controversy in Chicago.  No matter how you cut it, it was too little, too
late because the damage has already been done.  Its kind of like rape.  Once
its been done, you can't take it back.

This won't be the last that's heard about this, and it won't necessarily be
from Republicans.

John 

America:  First, Last, and Always!
LIBERALS AND DOGS KEEP OFF THE GRASS!

--- Msged/386 TE 05
 * Origin:  (1:379/1.99)