Army secretary apologizes for 'grievous error' labeling pro-life groups as terror groups

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll issued a formal apology to Operation Rescue for wrongly labeling the pro-life organization a “terror group” in a counterterrorism training presentation for more than 9,000 soldiers at Fort Bragg.

In a July 16 letter to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which represents Operation Rescue, Driscoll called the labeling a “grievous error” and said it “was not only inaccurate but also deeply inappropriate.” 

Driscoll also apologized to National Right to Life and other pro-life groups named in the presentation and vowed to implement stricter oversight of Army training materials. 

Operation Rescue President Troy Newman accepted the apology but emphasized the serious damage done to his organization’s reputation. 

“I am glad to accept the Army’s apology, but the harm this has caused Operation Rescue has been incalculable,” Newman said. “Being labeled a terrorist in these troubled times has carried with it a heavy burden on my staff and me.”

“The damage this has caused our nonviolent organization is something that cannot be undone with a simple apology, no matter how sincere,” Newman added. “Operation Rescue works tirelessly through all peaceful, legal means available to end the violent act of abortion, expose abortion abuses, and call for accountability to those who harm pregnant women and their babies.”

ACLJ Executive Director Jordan Sekulow also responded to Driscoll’s letter, writing, “Thank you for standing up against the Leftist ideology that had been infecting our military branches and bogging down our warfighters, often cloaked in the bureaucratic morass.”