Bush apologizes for Iraq abuse

WASHINGTON -- President Bush, struggling to control a growing crisis, apologized Thursday for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers and called it "a stain on our country's honor." He rejected calls for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's resignation but complained about Rumsfeld's handling of the controversy.

"He'll stay in my Cabinet," Bush declared, a day after White House officials spread word that the president was upset at the secretary for not alerting him about damaging pictures.

Usually loath to acknowledge mistakes or to apologize, Bush spoke up in the Rose Garden after meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

"I told him I was sorry for the humiliation suffered by the Iraqi prisoners and the humiliation suffered by their families," the president said. "I told him I was equally sorry that people who have been seeing those pictures didn't understand the true nature and heart of America."

"I assured him Americans like me didn't appreciate what we saw," Bush said, "that it made us sick to our stomachs."

Facing re-election and anxious to limit the damage to his administration, Bush promised anew that "we'll find out the truth. We'll take a good look at the whole system to determine -- to make sure that this doesn't happened again."

Struggling for words, he said, "But I am -- I am -- I am sickened by what I saw and sickened that somebody gets the wrong impression of people who are serving this country and this world with such dignity."

Bush readily acknowledged that America's reputation had been damaged. "It's a stain on our country's honor and our country's reputation. I fully understand that. And that's why it's important that justice be done."

Some Republicans on Capitol Hill privately questioned whether Rumsfeld could survive the scandal and were angry that he had not shared information with them.

Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa stepped forward to call for Rumsfeld's head. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats joined in.

"For the good of our country, the safety of our troops, and our image around the globe Secretary Rumsfeld should resign," Harkin said. "If he does not resign forthwith, the president should fire him."

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry also pushed for Rumsfeld's ouster. "It's the way it was handled," Kerry said. "The lack of information to the Congress, the lack of information to the country, not managing it, not dealing with it, recognizing it as an issue."

With the reputation and credibility of the United States on the line, the controversy was inflamed by graphic new pictures. One showed a naked man on a concrete cellblock floor, his neck in a leash held by a female American GI. Another showed a naked prisoner handcuffed to a bed with women's underwear over his head. The photos were published by The Washington Post.

Rumsfeld canceled a planned speaking engagement in Philadelphia so he could huddle in the Pentagon with top aides to prepare to testify today before Senate and House committees. Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, returned early from a European trip to get ready for the appearance with Rumsfeld.