One Marine's apology offered by Lieutenant General Chuck Pitman, USMC,
Retired:
For good and ill, the Iraqi prisoner abuse mess will remain an issue. On
the one hand, right thinking Americans will harbor [the chief believes
the general's original draft probably meant to use the word abhor rather
than harbor but text is left as was] the stupidity of the actions while
on the other hand, political glee will take control and fashion this minor
even into some modern day massacre.
I humbly offer my opinion here:
I am sorry that the last seven times we Americans took up arms and sacrificed
the bloods of our youth, it was in the defense of Muslims(Bosnia, Kosovo,
Gulf War I, Kuwait, etc.).
I am sorry that no such call for an apology upon the extremists came after
9/11.
I am sorry that all of the murders on 9/11 were Islamic Arabs.
I am sorry that most Arabs and Muslims have to live in squalor under savage
dictatorships.
I am sorry that their leaders squander their wealth.
I am sorry that their governments breed hate for the US in their religious
schools, mosques and government-controlled media.
I am sorry that Yassar Arafat was kicked out of every Arab country and
high-jacked the Palestinian "cause."
I am sorry that no other Arab country will take in or offer more than a
token amount of financial help to those same Palestinians.
I am sorry that the USA has to step in and be the biggest financial supporter
of poverty stricken Arabs while the insanely wealthy Arabs blame the USA
for all their problems.
I am sorry that our own left wing, our media, and our own brainwashed masses
do not understand any of this (from the misleading vocal elements of our
society like radical professors, CNN and the NY TIMES).
I am sorry the United Nations scammed the poor people of Iraq out of the
"food for oil" money so they could get rich while the common
folk suffered.
I am sorry that some Arab governments pay the families of homicide bombers
upon their deaths.
I am sorry that those same bombers are brainwashed thinking they will receive
72 virgins in "paradise."
I am sorry that the homicide bombers think women, babies, children, the
elderly and other noncombatant civilians are legitimate targets.
I am sorry that our troops die to free more Arabs from the gang rape rooms
and the filling of mass graves of dissidents of their own making.
I am sorry that Muslim extremists have killed more Arabs than any other
group.
I am sorry that foreign trained terrorists are trying to seize control
of Iraq and return it to a terrorist state.
I am sorry we don't drop a few dozen Daisy Cutters on Fallujah.
I am sorry every time terrorists hide they find a convenient "Holy
Site."
I am sorry they didn't apologize for driving a jet into the World Trade
Center that collapsed and severely damaged Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox
Church - one of our Holy Sites.
I am sorry they didn't apologize for flight 93 and 175, the USS Cole, the
embassy bombings, the murders and beheadings of Nick Berg and Daniel Pearl,
etc....etc!
We hang out our dirty laundry for the entire world to see. We move on.
That's one of the reasons we are hated so much. We don't hide this stuff
like all those Arab countries that are now demanding an apology. Deep down
inside, when most Americans saw this reported in the news, we were like
- so what? We lost hundreds and made fun of a few prisoners. Sure, it was
wrong, sure, it dramatically hurts our cause, but until captured we were
trying to kill these same prisoners. Now we're supposed to wring our hands
because a few were Humiliated? Our compassion is tempered with the vivid
memories of our own people killed, mutilated and burnt amongst a joyous
crowd of celebrating fallujans. If you want an apology from this American,
you're going to have better chance of finding those seventy-two virgins.
Chuck Pitman
Lieutenant General
US Marine Corps (Retired)
Semper Fi
(Item was provided by Ken in DC. The chiefs research disclosed that General
Pitman retired in 1990 as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Aviation)