Leahy Slams Administration’s Delay
In Informing Congress Of Iraq
Prison Incidents
[WASHINGTON (Wed., May 5) -- During a meeting of the Senate
Judiciary Committee Wednesday, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) faulted
the Administration for reportedly knowing five months ago about the
incidents that have recently come to light in U.S.-run Iraqi
prisons, while not informing the congressional leadership. On
Tuesday Leahy sent a letter (available
here) to the panel’s chairman, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah),
calling for hearings of the Senate Judiciary Committee on several
aspects of the
Iraq
prison problem under the committee’s jurisdiction. A
transcribed portion of Leahy’s opening statement from Wednesday
morning’s hearing is below.]
__________________________________________
Transcription Of The Remarks Of Senator Patrick Leahy On The
Iraq/Prison Matter
(Made During Wednesday’s Meeting
Of The Senate Judiciary Committee On PATRIOT Act Oversight)
Wednesday, May 5, 2004
I’ve also asked the
Chairman to hold a hearing on the reported abuse of prisoners by
Americans in
Iraq. Given the wide-ranging
jurisdiction of this committee over civil liberties in prisons, the
reported role of civilian contractors, our role in enactment of the
Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, and the lack of other
congressional oversight, I think we need to act.
It is amazing to me that
the Bush Administration has known about these atrocious things in
the prisons of
Iraq for five months. They never said a
word to either the Republican leadership or the Democratic
leadership in the House or the Senate. They knew about it for five
months, and then when the press reports it, they say they are
shocked, they are appalled. I think all Americans are shocked and
appalled, and the very, very brave American men and women who are
fighting in Iraq and following the rules, following our traditions
and doing what they are supposed to do, are equally shocked and
appalled.
But the Administration
had known about this for five months, and they only become shocked
when the press reports it. In fact they asked the press to hold off
reporting it for a couple of weeks. Now I realize that by not
allowing it to come out until the time it did, it did not interrupt
campaign schedules, but this should go way beyond campaign
schedules. We have created a horrendous problem for ourselves in
the
Middle East and a horrendous problem for the next time an American
soldier is captured.
And to keep it well hidden from everybody, including -- and maybe
it’s an example of what happens in this Congress -- we don’t do
oversight, and maybe the White House knows they have such a
complacent Congress that we’ll never ask questions, so why bother to
volunteer any answers. But it’s the height of hypocrisy for anybody
in the chain of command in this Administration to stand up and say
they are shocked after it became public, when it is something they
have known about for five months and never once did they express
that shock to the people they are supposed to respond to.
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