Abuse of Iraqi Prisoners

ABUSE OF IRAQI PRISONERS

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, there is not an American today who woke up and did not hear the lead news story, a story which has, frankly, brought us to a position of embarrassment with the abuses that have been sadly documented and have been spread across the world relating to the treatment of Iraqi prisoners.

The word is that the President of the United States is going to address the Arab nations through their own television network to talk about his disappointment, and I hope with an apology for what has occurred.

But we have a responsibility on Capitol Hill. We have a responsibility in the Senate. I believe we should move, and move decisively, No. 1, to entertain and pass a resolution on this floor that makes it clear that what happened in that Iraqi prison is not what America is all about, and that those responsible for it-from those whose photographs were taken, all the way up the chain of command-need to be held accountable for their actions. Nothing less than that should be tolerated.

Secondly, the Secretary of Defense, Don Rumsfeld, should be appearing before a committee on Capitol Hill, on a timely basis, as quickly as possible, to explain exactly what happened. It is absolutely incredible that the Secretary of Defense had no knowledge of this event, nor of the investigation that followed.

Finally, let me say this. Many of us believe what happened last week with the appearance of the Secretary of Defense on Capitol Hill was extremely troubling. Last Thursday, Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld appeared in a classified briefing on Capitol Hill, telling the Senate membership the state of affairs in Iraq. It was the same day that this story was to be aired on "60 Minutes II," the story relating to Iraqi prisoners.

The fact is, the Secretary testified without even indicating to the Members of the Senate that this story existed or was about to be disclosed to the American people. That is unacceptable.

The Secretary of Defense needs to return to Capitol Hill tomorrow to give another classified briefing to the Members of the Senate, to tell us exactly what transpired, why he did not disclose this to Members of the Senate, and why there is this veil of secrecy in this administration when it comes to one of the most troubling stories that has emerged since our invasion of Iraq.

I have spoken to our Democratic leader, Tom Daschle. He has been in conversation and dialogue with Senator Frist, the Republican leader, and has an agreement that all three things that I have just outlined will occur: a resolution on the floor relative to the Iraqi prison scandal; secondly, an appearance by Secretary Rumsfeld in open hearing before a committee as soon as possible; and, third, a request that the Secretary come to Congress, on a classified basis, and meet with us tomorrow, before this week ends, before this Senate leaves, to explain to us what has happened in this terrible episode.

Those who are responsible for this need to be held accountable-whether they are the soldiers involved in it and right up the chain of command to the leadership that failed. If we do not do this, frankly, we are jeopardizing the security of this country and the safety of our men and women in uniform, who still continue to struggle in Iraq to find peace and stability in that country.

We need to move now. We need to move decisively. We need to show the leadership on Capitol Hill which has failed to this point. The way to do it is through these three approaches.

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Nevada.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, through the Chair to my friend from Illinois, I appreciate very much his statement. I am hopeful and confident that agreement on those strategies will be reached today. I am terribly disappointed, and not only in what we did not hear from the Secretary of Defense.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I think I have 6½ minutes. I yield a minute of my time to the Senator from Nevada.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, there was more brass in 407 last Thursday than would make up a band, four stars all over the place, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Not a single one of those people in the chain of command even breathed a word of the impending scandal that they knew about as they briefed us. It is a terrible situation when we meet in secret up in room 407 and something as scandalous as American troops killing-we now have confirmed two homicides-prisoners of war in addition to humiliating them through sexual pictures and doing other things that speak so poorly of our military that I am sickened to my stomach.

Mr. President, we will take 1 minute from Senator Breaux.

Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous consent for 1 additional minute through Senator Breaux's time.

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. DURBIN. I agree completely with the Senator from Nevada. I have a feeling of embarrassment and also sadness, sadness for the thousands of men and women in uniform risking their lives today, serving us so nobly in Iraq, who are going to be swept into this vortex. We have to make certain the soldiers who are responsible for this as well as their leaders in command are brought out and held accountable so that our fine men and women who are fighting in the military in Iraq do not have to bear this burden. They are our best and brightest. We owe them the greatest respect. But let us be honest; what happened here is not typical of America, certainly not typical of our military. Unless we are forthright and open in accountability, it is going to sweep all of them into this veil of blame. That would be unfortunate.