When Tony Bennett stopped by on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM program to promote his new CD, ‘Duets II,’ on Monday, the 85-year-old crooner and World War II vet had some controversial thoughts about the terrorists responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

“They flew the plane in but we caused it,” Bennett said. “Because we were bombing them and they told us to stop. Are we the terrorists or are they the terrorists? Two wrongs don’t make a right.”

The public backlash was immediate and fierce.

On Tuesday, Bennett took to his Facebook page to apologize for his remarks, and he continued the contrition tour with an appearance on ABC’s ‘The View,’ where he read a pre-prepared statement.

“I am sorry if my statements suggested anything other than an expression of my love for my country, my hope for humanity and my desire for peace throughout the world. Nobody loves America more than I do,” the singer said.

Sincere as he may have been, not everyone’s anger is appeased.

“Nice statement by your publicist, however, we heard you loud and clear on the Stern program,” wrote Brian Eades on Bennett’s Facebook page. “The 3,000 people that died that day were … murdered in cold blood. Nothing – no matter what you can point to in U.S. policy over the years – justifies what was done or somehow mitigates the tragedy.”

[CBS]

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