CNN Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics - Transcript

CNN

SHOW: JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS 15:30

HEADLINE: Iraqi Prisoner Abuse: Public Opinion; Interview With Senator Susan Collins; Interview With Governor Ed Rendell

GUESTS: Bob Edwards, Susan Collins, Thomas Ricks, Ed Rendell

BYLINE: Judy Woodruff, William Schneider, Candy Crowley, Dana Bash

HIGHLIGHT:
Analyzing the latest public opinion poll regarding Iraqi prisoner abuse.; The Republican Party chairman today is accusing John Kerry's presidential campaign of playing politics with the prisoner abuse scandal.; Interview with Senator Susan Collins.; Interview with Thomas Ricks.; Interview with Governor Ed Rendell.

BODY:
WOODRUFF: OK. Candy Crowley, talking about this very difficult issue playing out on the campaign trail. Candy, thank you very much.

And now let's hear from a Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, a leading panel in the investigation of the prisoner abuse scandal. I spoke just a short time ago with Senator Susan Collins of Maine, and I started by asking her about the president's praise today of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and his contention that only a few individuals are behind the prisoner abuse, essentially, and that's where the scandal ends.

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SEN. SUSAN COLLINS ®, MAINE: I don't think so, Judy. Well, I don't think that Secretary Rumsfeld should resign.

It's evident that we need a thorough investigation to find out how the discipline so broke down at that prison, how these atrocities were allowed to occur. It's certainly goes beyond just a few prison guards. I just cannot conceive that these guards, on their own initiatives, undertook these acts. I think there's more to this story yet to come.

WOODRUFF: Senator, today the Army Times, which you know is circulated widely among the military, members of the military, in an editorial said this was not just a failure of leadership at the local command level. This was a failure that ran straight to the top. Accountability here is essential.

What's your reaction to that?

COLLINS: Accountability is essential. We need to find out why military intelligence was apparently running this prison. We need to discover whether the abuses occurred elsewhere. And we need to know for certain whether anyone instructed the guards to treat the prisoners in such a horrendous manner. As I said, I just don't think that the guards on their own would have come up with these bizarre and abusive activities.

WOODRUFF: The International Red Cross is confirming, Senator, that it was issuing warnings to the Bush administration early into 2003, soon after the war ended, about the abuse of prisoners. Is anyone looking into that?

COLLINS: Yes. We are going to take a look at the report that the International Red Cross apparently provided.

It's very troubling to me if the Red Cross or any other outside group alerted members of the military or administration officials to these abuses. It's particularly disturbing if there were no actions taken in response to these findings by respected groups such as the Red Cross.

WOODRUFF: Senator, we know there's now discussion among the members of the Senate, the Pentagon, the administration about what to do with these apparently hundreds of additional pictures and some videos of further abuse. Is it your view that those pictures and videos should be made public?

COLLINS: I do believe they should be made public. Otherwise, I fear what will happen is they will dribble out bit by bit over the next few months, making the tasks of our soldiers that much more difficult in Iraq.

One of the tragedies of this story is that vast majority of American troops every day are acting honorably and with compassion and courage in Iraq. And their efforts are undermined by the actions of some who treated the prisoners so abysmally. I think we've got to get the whole story out on the table, even though I know it's going to be very disturbing to everyone.

WOODRUFF: One final quick question, Senator. A report in The Washington Post yesterday that senior officials at the Pentagon having misgivings about the war overall. A senior general quoted as saying that the United States is already on the road to defeat in Iraq. Are you looking into reports such as these?

COLLINS: Well, I don't agree with the general who said that we're on the road to defeat in Iraq. But I am very concerned about the conduct of this stage of the war.

It's evident to me that the administration did not anticipate the difficulties of this stage of the occupation. And the violence makes life very difficult for our troops and for the Iraqis. I think we need a reassessment of what our strategy is, and certainly the critics of that strategy within the military should be involved in that process. And their views should be welcomed by the administration, not just cast aside.

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