Durbin finally says he's sorry

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Sen. Richard J. Durbin yesterday said he was "sorry" after parsing words for a week about his remarks comparing U.S. interrogators at Guantanamo Bay to those of Nazi and Soviet regimes. He apologized on the Senate floor.

"I'm sorry if anything that I said caused any offense or pain to those who have such bitter memories of the Holocaust, the greatest moral tragedy of our time," said Mr. Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate.

"I'm also sorry if anything I said in any way cast a negative light on our fine men and women in the military. I went to Iraq just a few months ago," he said, pausing and appearing to tear up at one point during the five-minute speech. "When you look at the eyes of the soldiers you see your son and daughter. They are the best. I never, ever intended any disrespect for them. Some may believe that my remarks crossed the line. To them, I extend my heartfelt apologies."

Senators from both parties said Mr. Durbin's apology should be the end of the controversy that began a week ago.

On June 14, Mr. Durbin, after reading an FBI agent's letter describing interrogation techniques at the military detention center at the U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, said on the Senate floor, "If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime -- Pol Pot or others -- that had no concern for human beings. Sadly, that is not the case. This was the action of Americans in the treatment of their prisoners."

His remarks were condemned by veterans groups, the Anti-Defamation League and even Richard Daley, the Democratic mayor of Chicago, who earlier yesterday called on Mr. Durbin to apologize.

Mr. Durbin on Friday issued a statement expressing his "sincere regret if what I said caused anyone to misunderstand my true feelings" of support for the troops. He said yesterday he thought that clarified the issue, but realized that "to many people it was still unclear."

Democrats had rallied to Mr. Durbin's defense, with most calling the attention to the remarks a Republican attempt to divert attention from their agenda.

And early yesterday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi refused to denounce Mr. Durbin's initial comments. At a press conference she called to demand creation of a commission to investigate detainee abuses at U.S. facilities throughout the world, she said Mr. Durbin's comments are one reason to have a commission.

"The fact is that Mr. Durbin's comments point to the need for an independent commission," she said. "What are the facts, how do we make judgments about how to change what is going on there, close Guantanamo or clean it up, but the status quo ... is not acceptable."