Bush Issues Controversial Apology
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Thursday, May. 06, 2004 02:42 PM EDTPresident Bush personally apologized on Thursday for U.S. soldiers who intimidated terrorist suspects in Iraqi jails in effort to get them to reveal plans to attack and kill Americans.
"I was sorry for the humiliation suffered by the Iraqi prisoners and the humiliation suffered by their families," Bush said he told Jordan's King Abdullah.
"I told him I was as equally sorry that people seeing those pictures didn't understand the true nature and heart of America." Bush said, standing in the Rose Garden alongside Abdullah.
Bush made the apology after Democrats and critics in the media complained that he did not go far enough in expressing his regrets in two interviews with Arab TV networks on Wednesday.
Reaction was strongly negative among some of Bush's most prominent supporters, one of whom warned that the apology was likely to embolden America's enemies.
"Osama bin Laden is laughing his ass off today," lamented a disgusted Rush Limbaugh, America's number one talk radio host and most influential media conservative.
"I also don't understand why the hell he had to apologize to King Abdullah," he added. "What did he have to do with anything?"
Limbaugh predicted that the apology wouldn't satisfy Bush's critics, saying they would press him "to apologize to the American people."
"And he hasn't apologized to the Iraqi prisoners yet," he added.
The top radio host said the sacrifice of American troops currently serving in Iraq more than made up for any improper conduct by U.S. military police.
"As of now I count over 700 dead, brave young Americans in Iraq," he told his audience. "If that doesn't convince people that we stand up for human dignity, I don't know what else would."
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