Senior diplomat criticizes U.S. policy in Iraq

October 23, 2006

In an interview Saturday, October 21 with Aljazeera.net, Alberto Fernandez, a senior diplomat with the State Department, made the following statement concerning the war in Iraq: "We tried to do our best, but I think there is much room for criticism, because, undoubtedly, there was arrogance and there was stupidity from the United States in Iraq,"

Fernandez later apologized, "Upon reading the transcript of my appearance on Al-Jazeera, I realized that I seriously misspoke by using the phrase 'there has been arrogance and stupidity' by the U.S. in Iraq."