STATEMENT OF REGRET REGRETTED

EU foreign ministers have issued a statement on those cartoons; the statement starting off:

"The [EU] council acknowledges and regrets that these cartoons were considered offensive and distressing by Muslims across the world."

The original statement, modified under pressure from the Dutch, stated:

... that the EU regretted "that these cartoons caused offence."

The feisty Czechs, victims of past European appeasement, objected to any use of the word "regret". Experience is the best teacher.