[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 58 (Thursday, April 10, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H3057]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
UNITED NATIONS MUST CONDEMN MISTREATMENT OF U.S. POWS IN IRAQ
(Mr. BELL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I was a guest on a Houston radio show earlier
this week; and during the course of the interview, the host of the
program, Chris Baker, pointed out that Congress, along with the United
Nations, has been rather silent on the issue of the treatment of
American POWs in Iraq.
While that is not all together correct, I know most of our attention
here has been focused on supporting the troops and hoping for a
successful and speedy conclusion to the conflict.
Now that it appears the end is near, and there is cause for great
optimism and excitement, we cannot lose site of the atrocities we have
seen during the past 3 weeks. I know all my colleagues agree that the
treatment of captured allied forces has been outrageous, and we must
continue to speak up and insist that those responsible be brought to
justice following the war.
We must send a clear message that America and the world will not
tolerate the mistreatment of our prisoners of war. We expect the same
treatment for our sons and daughters that we afford enemy soldiers when
they are captured. Please join me in calling for the United Nations to
take immediate action to condemn these heinous acts of miss treatments
against our POWs.
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