 |
| Wilson Statement on Armed Services Briefing on Iraq Prisoner Abuse |
May 18, 2004 |
| |
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Heather Wilson today released the following statement:
“A closed briefing has been scheduled for House Armed Services Committee members at 9 a.m. on May 18, 2004, concerning the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. The briefing will include Major General Thomas Romig, the Judge Advocate General of the Army, Major General Donald Ryder, the Provost Marshall General and Commander General of the Criminal Investigations Command of the US Army, and Major General Antonio Taguba, Deputy Commanding General (Support) of the Third Army.
Because this is a briefing and not a hearing, there will be no vote on closing the meeting to the public. I object to receiving this testimony only in closed session.
When classified national security information is discussed or when the Armed Services Committee is briefed about the details of ongoing criminal investigations, there is justification for moving into executive session. General Taguba’s report is publicly available and he has testified publicly about his findings in front of the United States Senate. House proceedings on this matter should be open and on the record.
The abuses that occurred at Abu Ghraib were appalling. The actions of these soldiers disgraced the uniform they wear, made our mission in Iraq more difficult and put Americans in greater danger. The Congress must assure that those who committed crimes are prosecuted. But our responsibility does not end there.
There are also important questions about training, lines of command, leadership decisions, the involvement of other agencies, and policies concerning the treatment and interrogation of prisoners that must be asked and answered.
Other governments tolerate abuse or even direct it. In America, we prosecute it. We will not dismiss it. We will not minimize it or exaggerate it. We will not excuse it. We must ask tough questions about root causes and contributing factors to get the answers we need so that problems get fixed.
Our investigation of this matter must be an example to the world of how a mature, self-governing country conducts itself when things go wrong. The House Armed Services Committee should thoroughly and rapidly investigate this matter and the factors that contributed to these events.
The House Armed Services Committee does not have a Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation as many other standing committees of the Congress do. That is a structural problem that hampers our efforts to do the hard work that consistent and thorough oversight requires.
Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Congress must not only ask tough questions, we must be seen by the world and by Americans to be doing so, however painful that may be.”
-END- |
|
|
|