By Lt. General Chuck Pitman, USMC Retired

For good and ill, the Iraqi prisoner abuse mess still 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 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 I, Kuwait, etc.).

I am sorry that no such call for an apology from 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 
fmasses do not understand any of this from the misleading vocal elements of 
our society.

I am sorry the United Nations scammed the poor people of Iraq out of the
"food for oil" moey 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 into thinking they will receive 72 virgins in paradise.  I am sorry that the homicide bombers think pregnant women, babies, children, the elderly and other non-combatant 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.

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 flights 93 and 175, the  USS Cole, the embassy bombings, the murders and beheadings of Nick Berg and Daniel Pearl.

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 our prisoner abuse 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 a long wait You have a better chance of finding those 72 virgins.

© 2007 Oregon Magazine