In Friday’s hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Donald Rumsfeld apologized for the mistreatment of Iraqi detainees in Abu Ghraib, stating, “These events occurred on my watch. As secretary of defense, I am accountable for them and I take full responsibility.” In a July 1997 “Gist,” Seth Stevenson explained why governments apologize and why they don’t.
Who’s Sorry Now?
Which wrongs warrant government apologies?
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