WASHINGTON - Under fire from Republicans and Democrats alike, Sen. Dick Durbin apologized Tuesday for comparing American interrogators at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp to Nazis and other historically infamous figures.
"Some may believe that my remarks crossed the line," the Illinois Democrat said. "To them I extend my heartfelt apologies."
His voice quaking and tears welling in his eyes, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate also apologized to any soldiers who were insulted by his remarks.
"They're the best. I never, ever intended any disrespect for them," he said.
The apology came a week after Durbin quoted from an FBI agent's report describing detainees at the Naval base as being chained to the floor without food or water in extreme temperatures.
"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," Durbin said June 14.
Durbin at first refused to apologize. "This administration should apologize to the American people for abandoning the Geneva Conventions and authorizing torture techniques that put our troops at risk and make Americans less secure," he said the day after his initial comments.
On Tuesday, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, a Democrat, said: "I think it's a disgrace to say that any man or woman in the military would act like that."
Durbin said in his apology: "I made reference to Nazis, to Soviets, and other repressive regimes. I've come to understand that's a very poor choice of words."
