This "Letter of Apology" was written by Lieutenant General Chuck Pitman, US Marine Corps, Retired:
For good and ill, the Iraqi prisoner abuse mess will remain an issue. On the one hand, right thinking Americans will abhor the stupidity of the actions while on the other hand, political glee will take control and fashion this minor event 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 blood of our youth, it was in the defense of Muslims (Bosnia , Kosovo, Gulf War 1, 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 murderers 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 death.
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 pregnant 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!
I am sorry Michael Moore is American; he could feed a medium sized village in Africa .
America will get past this latest absurdity. We will punish those responsible because that is what we do. !
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 Fallujahans.
If you want an apology from this American, you’re going to have a long wait! You have a better chance of finding those seventy-two virgins.
Chuck Pitman
Lieutenant General, USMC
I do not believe the date you have published as this letter has been under investagation since June of 2005
Snopes still hasn’t confirmed this one.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/pitman.asp
Having read Chuck pitmans letter I only comment that he should get some of his facts correct to start with.
Re Kuwait, it was relevant to the invasion of a sovereign country which resulted under UN mandate for its members to remove the invader and that included military from all UN countries. That resulted in what became known as the 1st Gulf War. Which is one hell of a difference to invading a sovereign country just on false evidence, Gulf War 2.
This was not written by Gen. Pitmann Please see url link posted for original letter and author.
Sorry url didn’t get posted before. Here it is again. http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/mikeadams/2004/06/14/12021.html
Hi Chuck – it’s been a long, long time. Remember Shorewood High ?
This was not written by this man. Check Snopes people.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/pitman.asp
Can some one prove that Lt Gen Chuck Pitman did right this or did not. Please someone ask him.
Check Snopes. General Pitman didn’t write this. Who ever did write it,hit the nail on the head though.
To Pip Waller, In regards to “Gulf War 2” please look into the violation of the cease fire agreement signed to bring an end to the “1st Gulf War”. Also, look into the violated UN resolutions regarding Iraq before you make false statements such as “invading a sovereign country just on false evidence”.