[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8181-8182]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            TORTURE IN IRAQ

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I had not intended to speak to the 
appalling news in the last several days about the mistreatment of 
prisoners in Iraq. But I must say I come to the floor with grave 
concerns about the news, about the events, about the message it sends, 
about the extraordinary impact this violation of human rights can have 
on our efforts to succeed in that country, and about our appalling 
inability to explain how this happened.
  While I certainly am not in a position today to speak with any 
clarity or definitive character with regard to the facts, let me say 
that I don't know that there has ever been a time when we needed a 
better understanding of how this could have happened, why it happened, 
how widespread these practices may have been, what the administration 
has done about it, what they intend to do about it, why the President 
was not informed, why the Defense Secretary was not informed until just 
recently, why no one has seen the report, why the Intelligence 
Committees were not informed, and why, in other words, has there been 
this extraordinary disconnect, this unbelievable failure of 
communication and of oversight.
  We need answers. I hope no later than the end of this week the 
Secretary of Defense can come to the Senate, as he does with some 
regularity, and explain to us what they know, what happened, and what 
is going to be done about it.
  We must do everything we can to ensure that we understand the 
circumstances surrounding these appalling acts. We must also be 
provided with a very specific and detailed response that spells out the 
measures taken to discipline those responsible and outlines what steps 
will be taken to ensure this never happens again.
  Somehow, we have to say to the international community that this is 
not the United States of America. I think it is imperative that the 
Senate itself speak to this issue in some manner. We should send a 
clear signal through a resolution or some other collective and forceful 
means that expresses how important it is to adhere to the international 
standards respecting the human rights of every person.

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  We cannot be silent. We must learn, respond, and speak out. I hope 
all that will be done at the earliest possible time.

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