Happy veterans day, indeed

Check out this amazing exchange between
the press and White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan. Next time
someone suggests the Bush Administration supports the troops, mention
this pathetic little gem. If you can stop laughing, that is.

Q Scott, there are 17 former POWs from the first Gulf War
who were tortured and filed suit against the regime of Saddam Hussein.
And a judge has ordered that they are entitled to substantial financial
damages. What is the administration's position on that? Is it the view
of this White House that that money would be better spent rebuilding
Iraq rather than going to these former POWs? MR. McCLELLAN: I don't
know that I view it in those terms, David. I think that the United
States -- first of all, the United States condemns in the strongest
terms the brutal torture to which these Americans were subjected. They
bravely and heroically served our nation and made sacrifices during the
Gulf War in 1991, and there is simply no amount of money that can truly
compensate these brave men and women for the suffering that they went
through at the hands of Saddam Hussein's brutal regime. That's what our
view is. Q But, so -- but isn't it true that this White House -- Q They
think they're is an -- Q Excuse me, Helen -- that this White House is
standing in the way of them getting those awards, those financial
awards, because it views it that money better spent on rebuilding Iraq?
MR. McCLELLAN: Again, there's simply no amount of money that can truly
compensate these brave men and women for the suffering -- Q Why won't
you spell out what your position is? MR. McCLELLAN: I'm coming to your
question. Believe me, I am. Let me finish. Let me start over again,
though. No amount of money can truly compensate these brave men and
women for the suffering that they went through at the hands of a very
brutal regime, at the hands of Saddam Hussein. It was determined
earlier this year by Congress and the administration that those assets
were no longer assets of Iraq, but they were resources required for the
urgent national security needs of rebuilding Iraq. But again, there is
simply no amount of compensation that could ever truly compensate these
brave men and women. Q Just one more. Why would you stand in the way of
at least letting them get some of that money? MR. McCLELLAN: I disagree
with the way you characterize it. Q But if the law that Congress passed
entitles them to access frozen assets of the former regime, then why
isn't that money, per a judge's order, available to these victims? MR.
McCLELLAN: That's why I pointed out that that was an issue that was
addressed earlier this year. But make no mistake about it, we condemn
in the strongest possible terms the torture that these brave
individuals went through -- Q -- you don't think they should get money?
MR. McCLELLAN: -- at the hands of Saddam Hussein. There is simply no
amount of money that can truly compensate those men and women who
heroically served -- Q That's not the issue -- MR. McCLELLAN: -- who
heroically served our nation. Q Are you opposed to them getting some of
the money? MR. McCLELLAN: And, again, I just said that that had been
addressed earlier this year. Q No, but it hasn't been addressed.
They're entitled to the money under the law. The question is, is this
administration blocking their effort to access some of that money, and
why? MR. McCLELLAN: I don't view it that way at all. I view it the way
that I stated it, that this issue was -- Q But you are opposed to them
getting the money. MR. McCLELLAN: This issue was addressed earlier this
year, and we believe that there's simply no amount of money that could
truly compensate these brave men and women for what they went through
and for the suffering that they went through at the hands of Saddam
Hussein -- Q So no money. MR. McCLELLAN: -- and that's my answer.

Posted by flow Frazao on November 11, 2003 at 09:22 AM | Permalink