President Bush has apologized for American soldiers (and civilian contractors) who abused Iraqi prisoners.Or has he?
The "apology" came during a press statement following a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah. He claimed to have apologized to King Abdullah, but he never apologized to the Iraqi prisoners or to the Iraqi people.
George W. Bush said, "I told His Majesty that I'm sorry for the humiliations suffered by the Iraqi prisoners and the humiliations suffered by their families." He didn't apologize. He didn't say he was sorry that American soldiers abused, tormented or tortured prisoners in violation of U.S. and international law. He didn't apologize when he was interviewed on Arab-language television. He didn't apologize in public. He claimed to have apologized to the King of Jordan.
The King of Jordan?
Since when does the President of the United States apologize to the King of Jordan for atrocities committed against Iraqi prisoners? Perhaps, when Richard Clarke apologized for not preventing the 9/11 attacks, he should have apologized to the Governor of Guam? It would have been just as legitimate.
But the fact that George W. Bush only "apologized" in private to someone who has nothing to do with the situation isn't the worst part. The worst part is how George W. Bush phrased his statement.
He was rubbing it in.
It's bad enough that we invaded a country that was never a threat to us. It's bad enough that we're trying to force them to adopt a system they've never had, don't understand, and don't seem to want. It's even worse that we're throwing people into prison simply because they happen to be in the way when the U.S. army sweeps down a street. It's outrageous that Americans are torturing these prisoners. It's disgusting that government officials of the highest ranks (including the Secretary of State at least) knew about this criminal behavior and did nothing.
But for the President of the United States to phrase his non-apology in such a way as to remind everyone -- twice -- that we deliberately and gleefully humiliated those people is absolutely unforgivable.
Perhaps the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the President himself should spend a week in Abu Ghraib. Perhaps they should be stripped naked, led around with hoods on their heads, and forced to lie on top of each other, with their jailors laughing and taking pictures.
Perhaps then George W. Bush would understand how to apologize.
Copyright 2004, Dan Jacoby
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