Kerry Says Abuse of Iraqi Prisoners Is ‘Inexcusable’

Sen. John F. Kerry criticized the Bush administration Wednesday for responding to U.S. military abuse of Iraqi prisoners in a “slow and inappropriate” manner, and called on the president to “guarantee that the world is going to have an explanation.”

In his first direct comments about the misconduct, Kerry called the treatment of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers “absolutely unacceptable and inexcusable.”

During a news conference outside Woodrow Wilson High School in northeast Los Angeles, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee also charged that the furor could “increase acts of terror against America and Americans.”

Kerry has been reproached for being too cautious in taking on the administration over a string of recent controversies: whether the White House should have responded more aggressively to warnings of a possible terrorist strike before the Sept. 11 attacks; the increasing violence in Iraq; the muddled reconstruction efforts there; and the prisoner abuse issue.

His remarks Wednesday apparently were prodded in part by concern among some allies in Washington about his relative silence since reports of the abuse surfaced last week. These allies urged him to speak out more forcefully, a Democratic source said.

Kerry’s press secretary, David Wade, rejected the criticism of the candidate, saying the Massachusetts senator had addressed the misconduct “from the very beginning” in a statement released by the campaign on Friday. Kerry’s comments Wednesday, he said, were prompted by a need to “respond to new information.”

“We’re only now learning just how slow this administration was to respond, and how much information they kept from senators and the American people” about the actions of U.S. soldiers, Wade said.

The Kerry statement was released after photographs were made public showing U.S. soldiers laughing and smiling at naked Iraqi detainees in Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad. Since then, further allegations of humiliation and torture have been made.

The statement said Kerry was “disturbed and troubled” about the treatment of prisoners. But when pressed by reporters on his campaign plane for further comment Sunday, Kerry demurred, calling the incidents “disgraceful” and referring to the four-sentence statement.

Kerry’s Wednesday news conference came after he joined students and Latino leaders at a Cinco de Mayo celebration.

As international outrage swirls over the prisoner abuse, Kerry said the incidents had “done a disservice to all of our troops who serve with great valor.... And it also undermines America’s own efforts in the region.”

His comments came after Bush, in interviews with Arab TV stations, denounced the abuse but stopped short of an apology. A White House spokesman later said, “The president is sorry for what occurred.”

Asked whether Bush should have apologized, Kerry said: “The world needs to hear from the president that the United States of America regrets any time there is abuse of this kind. We have to show the world that we’re willing to correct our own mistakes.”

Pressed to describe in detail how he would have reacted under similar circumstances, Kerry said, “I’d want to get the facts and hold the people accountable and make the appropriate statements.... If that includes apologizing for the behavior of the soldiers when that happens, then we ought to do that.”

Asked about his seeming reluctance to speak out about the prisoner abuse, Kerry said, “I put out a statement on Day One.

“We’ve learned more and more as each day has gone on,” he continued. “This has been my first [media] availability in a few days, and so I wanted to make sure that I addressed it up front, and I will continue to do that.”

Kerry’s last news conference was April 14.

In Los Angeles, Kerry met privately with Cardinal Roger M. Mahony at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Some church officials have questioned whether Kerry, a Roman Catholic, should receive communion because of his support for abortion rights. Details of their conversation were not released.

At the celebration of Cinco de Mayo -- which commemorates the Mexican victory over the French in a battle at Puebla, Mexico, in 1862 -- Kerry spoke alternately in English and Spanish. He spoke glowingly of “a small band of proud Mexicans who took on an army twice their size because they believed in their future.”

After greeting supporters at the end of the event, Kerry was asked by reporters about criticism that his campaign lacks diversity. “We are going to have a campaign and an administration that reflect the full diversity of our country,” Kerry promised.

Questioned further about his campaign’s makeup, Kerry said he was proud of his “record for 35 years of working for diversity,” and noted that his first meeting after virtually clinching the Democratic nomination was with the Congressional Black Caucus.

Appearing with him Wednesday was Los Angeles City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa, a national co-chairman of Kerry’s campaign, who said Kerry understood that the Latino agenda was the American agenda.

“We’re reaching out broadly across the country,” Kerry said. “I believe the Latino vote could decide the election ... I say to all Latinos listening: George Bush made a set of promises when he ran for president. He promised immigration reform. He has not delivered it.”

Kerry said he favored “earned legalization” for illegal immigrants and reform of the guest-worker program. He also called for more effective border control and better enforcement of laws designed to curb “illegal employment.”

“You put it all together as a package, and that is the only way to do immigration reform,” he said. “You can’t do it as a Band-Aid here or a Band-Aid there.... That’s what President Bush said he would do. He has not done it.”

Today, Kerry will speak at Colton High School in San Bernardino County, unveiling a plan to improve the quality of teachers.

Times staff writers Michael Finnegan and Christiana Sciaudone contributed to this report.