Kucinich on Rumsfeld, Torture, Worst Yet to Come . . .

"Worse" is Yet to Come, Says Kucinich
May 7, 2004

Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich said statements by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, coupled with new revelations in a report by the International Red Cross, "indicate that this appalling story of torture, degradation, and inhumanity is going to get worse" when all the facts are fully disclosed.

The most troubling parts of Rumsfeld's testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee today, Kucinich said, relate to "what the American people haven't been told yet." Rumsfeld told the committee that all of the facts relating to the Iraq prison abuse scandal were not yet known. He said he was aware of additional photographs and videos of sexual humiliation that have yet to be released publicly. "There are a lot more photos and videos that exist," Rumsfeld said. "If these are released to the public, they are going to make matters worse."

Rumsfeld's admission that the scandal is more widespread than currently believed comes on the same day as a damning report by the International Red Cross claiming that Iraqi detainees held by U.S. forces were subjected to systematic degrading treatment, sometimes close to torture, that may have been officially condoned. According to the report, "Our findings do not allow us to conclude that what we were dealing with...were isolated acts of individual members of coalition forces. What we have described is a pattern and a broad system." Kucinich said, "This is beyond inexcusable. This is obscene."

"What could possibly be worse than an obscene war that dehumanizes the Iraqi people who were promised freedom from tyranny and terror?" Kucinich asked. "The only thing worse is to remain there -- as occupiers, as targets, and as perceived enemies of the very principles of liberty and decency that we claim to believe in -- in even greater numbers and force, with no end in sight." Kucinich, a Congressman from Ohio, blamed the Bush Administration for creating the environment that led to the abuses and for failing to take swift action to deal with them. "We have not begun to go far enough to examine the true intent and conduct of the leadership of this country" he said, nor "have we gone far enough to bring an end to this unjustified war."

Today, while campaigning in West Virginia, he said, "There is no doubt that this will get worse -- for the Iraqi people, for our men and women in uniform who are now at even greater risk, and for the image of the United States in the eyes of the world community." He added, "The Republican Administration is unwilling to admit its mistakes, so it now falls on the leadership of the Democratic Party to demand an end to the war and to call on the Administration to bring our troops home."

For information about the National campaign: http://www.kucinich.us

For Congressman Kucinich's Schedule: http://www.kucinich.us/schedule.htm.

:yourock:

There is nothing-nothing good to be gained by keeping troops there.

We went over and we pretty much destablized & f'd things up....

Dennis was right. Why won't people listen to him?

(Because those in power- and this crosses both sides...can make $$ of this war. Bottomline is always about the profit motive and this is what concerns me about Kerry...where IS the difference? )

Peace
DR

... that's why I support him for President!!!!

"What could possibly be worse than an obscene war that dehumanizes the Iraqi people who were promised freedom from tyranny and terror?" Kucinich asked. "The only thing worse is to remain there -- as occupiers, as targets, and as perceived enemies of the very principles of liberty and decency that we claim to believe in ... "

unfortunately this is all too true. My wife knows a woman whose husband is stationed at Gitmo, and he won't even TALK about what goes on there. If it's anything like the pictures we've seen from Iraq, I can understand why.

We have lost nearly all credibility with the people of the middle east. Our continued presense will not "stabilize" Iraq on iota-- in fact, it's the major cause of destabilization.

The US needs to stop being an occupying force in Iraq. We need true PEACEKEEPERS to take over this duty, and let the Iraqi people DECIDE who they want to "rebuild" their country-- NOT the closed-bidding process of the Pentagon.

Sure, we spent most of the 90s and this decade "breaking" Iraq, but that does not qualify us to fix it. We should pay for what we broke, but let the people of Iraq choose their own destiny.

Dennis Kucinich, who still speaks the truth.....

GO DK!!!

This man so totally knows what is going on!

Peace
DR