Armed Services Committee Member Larsen Calls for Serious and Swift Action After Rumsfeld's Testimony

Today U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement after attending the House Armed Services Committee hearing and listening to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld testify regarding the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib:

"I deplore these heinous acts of abuse by American soldiers, intelligence personnel and private contractors at Abu Ghraib prison. They do not reflect American values and run counter to how we would want our military treated.

"This scandal is a devastating setback to our already-teetering efforts to build Middle East support for security and reconstruction in Iraq. The abuse blows open the door to current and future enemies that it is acceptable to treat U.S. military in the same way.

"In order to protect our women and men in the military, we need to fully prosecute the individuals who perpetrated these acts. We must also hold accountable those who allowed these events to occur-from the top to the bottom of the chain of command.

"As we go forward from here, we must take swift and deliberate action to control the damage this scandal has caused in the Middle East and around the globe.

"First, the president should immediately appoint a commission of retired U.S. military and civilian judges to investigate all aspects of the allegations. The commission should have access to all prisoners being held by U.S. military worldwide. They should have access to all U.S. military, intelligence, and civilian personnel involved in abuses.

"Second, we must open an immediate investigation into the role of private contractor participation in interrogations, including their culpability for what happened at Abu Ghraib and the relationship between private and military interrogators. We need to know what military rules apply to both and what changes need to be made there.

"Finally, the Coalition Provisional Authority must establish a permanent Iraqi committee for monitoring prison conditions and to oversee the Iraqi prison system. The United States Army must immediately introduce due process and habeas corpus in all Iraqi prisons and introduce the Geneva Convention to Enemy Prisoners of War."