May 3, 2004

HARMAN: ABUSE OF IRAQI PRISONERS IS DEPLORABLE AND
HARMS U.S. INTERESTS
-Calls on Secretary Rumsfeld to Provide Army Report to
House Intelligence Committee-

Washington, DC - Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-36), Ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement in response to news reports that military intelligence may have been involved in acts of abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq:

"The abuses at Abu Ghraib are deplorable and severely undermine U.S. interests in Iraq. The fog of war is thick, but these acts of abuse and humiliation contradict international norms, military regulations and the very values that our military fights to defend. They have absolutely no place in our military.

"The House Intelligence Committee has oversight responsibility for military intelligence. In war, interrogations are an integral part of intelligence-gathering efforts. For that reason, Chairman Goss and I have received two high-level classified briefings about interrogations. I have also visited Guantanamo Bay three times to inspect conditions and practices there.

"At no time did the Administration inform the House Intelligence Committee about General Taguba's report of February 2004. As of yesterday, the report was still "working its way" up the chain of command to senior Pentagon leaders. This is highly disturbing, and raises questions about how seriously the Administration and the White House were taking these allegations.

"These abuses undermine the hard work and sacrifice of those in uniform who take incredible risks to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people - with acts such as digging wells, carrying books into schools, and rebuilding hospitals.

"Today, I am writing a letter to Secretary Rumsfeld requesting a copy of General Taguba's report, and an immediate briefing on specific steps the military is taking to punish wrongdoers and prevent further acts of abuse at all military prisons."

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