SORRY ABOUT ABU GHRAIB, Bush's 'apology' doesn't make nice, Today's voicing of regrets by leaders is an act designed to blunt criticism and escape blame ALL EDITIONS

Faced with the evidence of serial abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers, President George W. Bush condemned, decried and regretted; but he didn't apologize for a week. In a world where victims demand not merely justice but penitence, the president's reluctance became a political issue...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNewsday
Main Author TONY JUDT. Tony Judt is a professor of European studies at New York University. This is excerpted from The Washington Post
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Long Island, N.Y Newsday LLC 11.05.2004
EditionCombined editions
Subjects
Bush, George W
Rice, Condoleezza
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Summary:Faced with the evidence of serial abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers, President George W. Bush condemned, decried and regretted; but he didn't apologize for a week. In a world where victims demand not merely justice but penitence, the president's reluctance became a political issue in its own right. For the second time this spring the Bush administration was caught up in the media's passion for public contrition. In late March the public commission investigating security lapses before 9/ 11 was transformed into a daytime soap opera. Would Condoleezza Rice follow Richard Clarke's cue and offer a telegenic "sorry" for letting it all happen? How would she "look" if she did offer an all- points apology? And - of even greater media interest - how would she look if she didn't? For this generation of political leaders - and followers - it has always been important to have the right sort of feelings and to display them copiously. Thus President Bush - hitherto seemingly immune to the sensibilities of his generation - feels sorry (according to his spokesman) for the "pain caused" by the publication of pictures and reports of American soldiers torturing Iraqis. In Bush's own words he feels "bad" about what happened, "sorry for the humiliation" of Iraqi prisoners. Saying "sorry" makes it better.