Kerry Slams Response to Iraq Prison Abuse

[maddezmom]

LOS ANGELES - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) said Wednesday that the Bush administration's response to abuse of Iraqi prisoners by some U.S. soldiers has been "slow and inappropriate."

"I think the world needs to hear from the president that the United States of America regrets any kind of abuse of this kind or any kind of effort like this," Kerry said at his first news conference in three weeks. "Because we have to show the world that we're willing to correct our own mistakes."

~snip~

Bush said there will be investigations and individuals will be brought to justice. Kerry echoed the call for an investigation and declined to say that an apology is needed pending the outcome.


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

~snip~

The horrifying abuse of Iraqi prisoners which the world has now seen is absolutely unacceptable and inexcusable," he said. "And the response of the administration, certainly the Pentagon (news - web sites), has been slow and inappropriate. I believe the president needs to guarantee that the world is going to have an explanation.

~snip~
more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040505/ap_on_el_pr/kerry&cid=694&ncid=2043

[displacedtexan]

1. Didn't Bush apologize to China multiple times over the spy plane?

But he can't apologize for rape, torture, and murder?

He wasn't raised right!

[FreakinDJ]

2. He believe those "Brown skinned people" don't deserve an

apology.

BTW pass the weapons of mass destruction and can I have some more Iraq / 911 links please

Thank you from the bottom of my PNAC doctrine

[msmcghee]

3. China knew he was a spoiled . .

. . rich kid with no substance, principles or backbone.

They proved it in the first days of his administration by setting up that incident. Too bad our media never noticed.

If our coastal forces had ever shot down one of their planes - they never would have apologized.

[Tellurian]

4. More from Kerry @ the link;

important statement:


"I want to know, as I think Americans do, is this isolated?
Does it go up the chain of command? Who knew what when?"
Kerry said. "All of those questions have to be answered,
so I don't want to shoot from the hip on that."


Kerry celebrated Cinco de Mayo at Los Angeles' Woodrow Wilson High School, where he criticized Bush's education policies. He sprinkled his remarks with the Spanish that he's been learning on cassette tapes.

Bush "promised in the No Child Left Behind Act that billions of dollars would be coming to America. El rompio las promesas," Kerry said, then translated. "He broke his promises to America."

[maddezmom]

6. I think he's holding back on calling for any resignations

just let it boil for a time more, JK!

[can_of_sprite]

13. I saw Kerry speak

somewhere and he said he called for Rummy's resignation 8 months ago beause of the horrendous miscalculations of the war. On this issue, he said he'd like to hear the facts.

As an aside, I am trying to get people on this site to go to bighuskerfan.com/phpBB2/ and sign up to argue with the people on the general discussion forum. You may enjoy getting into fights with some truly evil and ignorant people. I was banned for getting into too many fights too many times with people who would rather dissent not be voiced. They're about as unamerican as you get.

[Iceburg]

5. S L O W . . . . 6 m o n t h s t o o l a t e

is the word on the Muslim streets. I guess he thought the press would protect the war-time resident of the WH. I listened to an Arab journalist this afternoon (on Canadian radio) and he said the Americans are more shocked than the Muslim world, because pictures have been circulating on the internet within the Muslim community since Novemeber 2003. Also stated -- "Bush offered no apology, and the news stations he broadcast his message on had no legitimacy -- if he really wanted to have his message heard, Bush should have used Al Jazeera."

[Tellurian]

11. "Bush offered no apology, and his message had no legitimacy!"

Yes, that was the keystone of his message.

Without knowing what he was saying, he said: "this is not American"...

Which is an incorrect statement.

He should have said this is not US policy...

[TheFarseer]

7. Honestly, Kerry might not want to pound on this

He said he witnessed and took part in atrocities in Vietnam. For another thing, is Bush supposed to hold everyone's hand to make sure they aren't torturing Iraqis?(no, he's supposed to not invade and occupy random countries, but that's another matter) And finally, I think it's pretty crappy to bitch at soldiers who are getting shot at daily. It's almost as bad as complaining that Kerry didn't deserve his purple heart. I sure as hell wouldn't want to be over there, and I really wouldn't want to get bitched at while I'm risking my life. Of course, * should stop anything that looks like abuse of prisoners for our image if nothing else and maybe even apologize, but I don't think the Dems would be well served to stand up for people who were trying to kill our troops. Think this through objectively before you disagree.

[bread_and_roses]

9. What ARE you saying?

Are you implying that because soldiers are shot at in battle they should be excused for torturing captives? Or that we, the public, the citizens in whose name these acts are committed, should minimize these atrocities because it is soldiers committing them? Or that political expediency would justify ignoring the fact that the US is committing war crimes? Just what are you suggesting is the correct course of action here?

[TheFarseer]

14. Two things

the correct course of action is to punish and re-assign these troops away from the prisons. Do your best to stop further abuse of prisoners.

And second, my main point was that the dems should not ally themselves with the Iraqi insurgents and demonize American soldiers as baby killers and rapists. Do you really want JK to be stumping for the rights of Saddam loyalists and Al Queda fighters while he's trying to look strong on defense??? It looks kind of bad to voters. I'm just saying pick your issues more carefully.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. No the correct action is

Article 32 and General Court Martials for those IN CHARGE, as well as the soldiers who have already used the ever so popular I was obeying orders.

You are truly trying to rationalize what happened... so did mamy Germans in WW II... it is for the good of the Jews... really. And yes this is the begining of THAT slipery slope

NEVER AGAIN....

6 million jews, and 7 million gentiles died becasue people did NOT take a stand when it started. Fifty of them WERE MY RELATIVES. Now CHEW on THAT.

[TheFarseer]

17. not to excuse what our troops have done in Iraq

And I am truly sorry for your relatives, but there is a slight difference between exterminating 6 millions Jewish people and sodomizing a guy with a broom stick and making them pose nude. Believe me, we will not commit genocide on the Iraqi people.

[bread_and_roses]

25. Difference in degree, not in kind

The Germans did not start with genocide, even if that was always the plan. They started with beatings and humiliation. We ARE murdering infants and we ARE torturing and by some accounts murdering prisoners. We are committing war crimes. Kerry has the same obligation as does any person of conscience: to speak out and oppose such acts. Surely his speechwriters can find a way to do so while laying the blame where it ultimately belongs, at the White House.

[elfin]

10. I do not disagree entirely but

this event proves Kerry was right in describing unspeakable acts during Viet Nam - thereby takihng away the Repugs slur against him on this.

He could say something like "war can bring out the best in soldiers, but it also can bring out the worst which has been seen before. That is why EVERY effort must be made in diplomacy to avoid war - which this administration failed to do."

[TheFarseer]

19. good answer

highlight Bush's policy failures and general numbskullery. I wish JK would say we could have worked this out and war could have been avoided. We won't get Kerry elected bashing the troops, I can tell you that.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

12. Kerry acknowledges his mistakes

Bush seems unable to even recognize the possiblility.

[belle]

26. sums it up.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. 1946... Nuremberg,

that is your first clue

Second clue... many of the people ORDERING this were Civilian MERCs who inserted themselves in the Chain of Command

Third off... STOP APOLOGIZING for war crimes, or one day you will find yourself in a train to a re-education camp...

Evil only prospers when men and women of consience refuse to take a stand

[KittyWampus]

21. #1. Many Prisoners Are Civilians Who Were NOT Shooting At Our Troops

#2. DID Kerry say he actually witnessed and took part in atrocities?

My understanding is that he recounted what OTHERS saw and did.

[Just Me]

8. I wish Kerry would say loud and clear: COVER UP!!! n/t

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[evworldeditor]

20. Meanwhile Rush says it was nothing more than 'frat house' hazing

Al Franken highlighted this today on Air America Radio during his daily dialog with his "Dittohead" school chum. The point was that if Rush thinks this is nothing to get that upset about, what's that say about Rush's morals and ethics... oh that's right, he doesn't have any... sorry, I forgot.

[othermeans]

22. Frat Hazing includes murder?

Boy you gotta love Rush. But I guess he's right since a number of frat hazings do end in somebody's death after being beaten and sodomized.

[saigon68]

23. HE GOT THE BOIL ON HIS ASS FROM FRAT HAZING?

I thought it was because he was left handed.

[Disturbed]

24. Photos

The Right Wing is determined to focus on the sexual photos to keep the public from attention from the more heavy torture and murder. The widespread torture is the real story but the spin is on the "isolated events" of the sexual photos and the few loons involved in that depraved situation and not on overall policy of torture.

[belle]

27. Even if it really was only the sexual photos, i love how...

the freepers who work themselves into fits of righteous rage about consensual same-sex eroticism, even marriage (heaven forfend), are somehow o.k. with the blatantly obvious homoeroticism of this "prank."

apparently if you make someone *else* do it, someone who *isn;t enjoying it,* then it's o.k.--just so you're not a fag.