[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 190 (Wednesday, December 12, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H15392-H15393]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE HOSTAGE OF BAGHDAD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, in the deserts of Iraq a war is going on 
against the enemies of America. In the heat and dust of the summer of 
2005, a young American went to fight, not against al Qaeda, but for her 
own survival. She became the ``Hostage of Baghdad,'' held against her 
will by villains of the desert, thousands of miles away from home in 
Texas. This is her story.
  Madam Speaker, Jamie Leigh Jones was a 20-year-old woman who worked 
for Halliburton KBR. She was sent to Iraq as part of her employment. 
She was sent to Baghdad to a place, ironically, called Camp Hope, in 
the supposed Green Zone that was supposed to be safe.
  After being in Iraq only a few days, she said she was held against 
her will, drugged, gang-raped by Halliburton KBR firefighters, and the 
people in charge of her held her hostage in a ship cargo container for 
24 hours without any food or water. She became an American hostage, 
held hostage by fellow Americans.
  She convinced one of the people guarding her to let her borrow his 
cell phone. After obtaining the cell phone, Jamie called her dad in 
Texas and pleaded for help and begged to be rescued. She was scared, 
she was hurt, she was half a world away from home, and she was alone.
  Jamie's dad called me because I represent him in Congress. Her father 
relayed the tragic assault and crime, and of course needed immediate 
assistance. My staff and I were able to contact the right people in the 
United States State Department, and within 48 hours two agents from the 
embassy in Baghdad found and rescued Jamie, made sure she received 
appropriate medical attention, and brought her home.
  Jamie had been seen by Army doctors in Baghdad and had been given, 
apparently, good medical care while being treated in Baghdad. A 
forensic sexual assault examination was performed on her. This 
examination is commonly called a rape kit. Doctors take forensic 
samples from a sexual assault victim and then they are preserved as 
evidence for trial in this rape kit.
  But, Madam Speaker, for some unknown reason, the Army doctors turned 
this rape kit over to Jamie's employer, Halliburton KBR. KBR then lost 
the rape kit. The rape kit was later found, but it had been tampered 
with. The photographs are now missing, and the Army doctor's cover 
sheet with the medical findings are not there. These are critical for 
prosecution of the rapists.
  Madam Speaker, Jamie's brutal injuries were severe. She has had to 
have reconstructive surgery because of the extent of these injuries by 
these rapists in Iraq. Once she was home, we pressured the State 
Department to find out who these villains of Baghdad were; where are 
they, and why haven't they been prosecuted. After so much time, there 
is little progress on the investigation. We need to know also if KBR 
had knowledge of the crime and if they are involved to any extent.
  Jamie has decided to go public with her case. This case, like all 
such cases, remains confidential in our congressional office. 
Congressional offices do

[[Page H15393]]

not divulge the content of personal case files like this because they 
are considered privileged communication and they are private.
  My tremendous case worker, Patti Chapman, worked with Jamie since her 
rescue and has helped her in this most tragic way, and helped her in a 
compassionate way. Patti Chapman, like many congressional caseworkers, 
are angels to the people in our communities. Jamie has had the courage 
to publicly tell about this most personal crime against her. So my 
office and now Chairman Conyers of the House Judiciary Committee have 
contacted the Attorney General and the State Department and we want 
answers about this case and the investigation.
  Specifically, what is going on over there in Iraq? American citizens 
have civil rights overseas as well. Crimes committed against them must 
be investigated. Criminals must be held accountable. Our government has 
the legal and moral duty to capture these villains of Baghdad. Also, 
hundreds of American civilians like Jamie are in Iraq working in 
support of America's military mission. When these American civilians 
become victims of crimes by other Americans, it is unclear who's 
enforcing the law. Our government must clear up this confusion, because 
currently there seems to be an environment of lawlessness. These 
criminals must be held accountable.
  Madam Speaker, let me tell you about sexual assault. I was a former 
judge and saw these victims and their perpetrators in court, and these 
demons that do these dastardly acts against victims don't commit these 
crimes for sexual pleasure, but, Madam Speaker, they do it to destroy 
the inner soul of these victims. Jamie Leigh Jones survived and has 
been rescued, but the outlaws still roam the deserts of Iraq like the 
outlaws in the days of the Old West. We need justice. We need the law 
to intervene and round up these outlaws for their day in court. Let 
justice be swift, let it be severe, let it be serious, because justice 
is what we do in America.
  And that's just the way it is.

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