[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11317]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  REASONS WHY ADMINISTRATION HAS TO GO

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I can hardly stop laughing after that 
last speech. You would think the Republicans were not in charge here. I 
think he was talking about President Bush and the Republican House and 
the Republican Senate that is wasteful. They have shoveled it out the 
door to all kinds of things.
  Mr. Speaker, I read a quote the other day that astonished and 
frightened me. I think most Americans feel the same way. Here it is:
  ``The world should have expected the shocking photographs of Iraqi 
prisoners being tortured at the Abu Ghraib prison.''
  That is a pretty strong message, the kind of damning statement about 
U.S. foreign policy in Iraq that we might expect our enemies to say and 
even use to recruit. But the words were spoken by the head of Amnesty 
International.
  Amnesty International's Secretary General Irene Kahn went even 
further in her remarks, saying U.S. policy has actually made the world 
a more dangerous place. ``Sacrificing human rights in the name of 
security at home, turning a blind eye to abuses abroad and using 
preemptive military force when and where it chooses, have neither 
increased security nor ensured liberty.'' And, tragically, this 
sentiment is likely to get worse. The world now knows that at least 
three prisoners have died in U.S. custody in Afghanistan. There are 
other allegations apparently under investigation of beatings and sexual 
abuse.
  As it stands now, we might never know the full extent of U.S. 
prisoner abuse in Afghanistan, because the top U.S. general says it is 
classified.
  The AP quotes Lieutenant General David Barno as saying anything made 
public will contain only ``some of the key conclusions.'' Also being 
kept secret are the ``specific techniques used,'' the commander said. 
Those are code words for things like beating and hooding and other 
abuses.
  The International Red Cross has been trying to get into other U.S. 
prison facilities in Iraq besides Abu Ghraib, but the Red Cross has 
been denied access. What else is yet to be discovered? Why is the 
military stamping ``secret'' on its activities in U.S. prisons in Iraq? 
The AP says evidence of abuse has surfaced in at least three other 
detention facilities in Iraq. ``Secret'' is what the administration and 
its civilians in charge at the Pentagon are saying.
  The honor of every decent U.S. soldier is tarnished by prisoner abuse 
that the administration refuses to account for. The safety of every 
decent U.S. soldier is endangered when this administration refuses to 
find those responsible within its own list of political appointees. It 
is not sergeants and PFCs at the bottom.
  This President has turned worldwide goodwill and unending support 
after 9/11 into global disgust and worldwide mistrust of America. As 
long as this President remains in the White House, the United States 
grows increasingly isolated in the world.
  The war on terror will not be won alone. And America will not win 
when this President's policies lead Amnesty International to say the 
war on terror is ``bankrupt of vision'' and concludes, ``The U.S. has 
lost its high moral ground and its ability to lead on peace.''
  That is the legacy of this administration and the reason that George 
Bush is going back to Crawford, Texas, on the second of November.

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