Shaffer
05-11-04, 08:46 AM
The author of a 53-page Army report critical of the "sadistic, blatant and wanton criminal abuse" of some Iraqi prisoners is testifying before a Senate committee Tuesday.
The session takes place as Democrats and Republicans are trying to establish whether and how to release to members of Congress digital video clips and about 100 additional pictures of the abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad.
Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba and other military officers are appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Watch CNN for live coverage of the hearing. For a live video stream, look for the link on our CNN.com home page.
Taguba is accompanied by Stephen A. Cambone, undersecretary of defense for intelligence, and U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Lance L. Smith, deputy commander with U.S. Central Command.
In his report, Taguba concluded that U.S. military police in Iraq inflicted "sadistic, blatant and wanton criminal abuse" on prisoners in their custody numerous times. Seven soldiers face criminal charges in the case and six others, all officers or noncommissioned officers, have been reprimanded. (Gallery: Abuse at Abu Ghraib -- contains graphic images, viewer discretion advised)
Some of those implicated in the case have said they were told to prepare the prisoners for questioning by military intelligence officers at Abu Ghraib. (Gallery: The military's report on abuse allegations in Iraq)
A Red Cross report delivered to U.S. and British officials in February warned that prisoners considered likely sources of intelligence faced coercion that in some cases was "tantamount to torture." (Red Cross: Treatment of Iraqis 'tantamount to torture')
Photographs of naked, hooded Iraqi prisoners being sexually humiliated stirred anger at home and abroad, prompting President Bush to publicly apologize for their treatment. (Poll: Bush approval hits new lows; chart of poll results)
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld revealed during testimony last week that hundreds of other photographs existed, as well as digital video. (Rumsfeld tells Congress of his 'failure')
Senate leaders said that there is broad bipartisan agreement that the images should be made available to members of the Senate, but said that they do not want to take possession of that material until the rules under which senators will view them are properly established.
"Once the question of these pictures coming up here was raised, I decided this is an institutional problem," said Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, who said he has asked the Pentagon not to send the pictures up until the Senate is ready.
Lawyers for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Minority Leader Tom Daschle, Warner and ranking committee Democrat Carl Levin are now examining the legal issues around the release of the pictures and videos, a process that could take all of Tuesday at least.
"We're not starting this game until we know how it ends," said a senior Frist aide.
The session takes place as Democrats and Republicans are trying to establish whether and how to release to members of Congress digital video clips and about 100 additional pictures of the abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad.
Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba and other military officers are appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Watch CNN for live coverage of the hearing. For a live video stream, look for the link on our CNN.com home page.
Taguba is accompanied by Stephen A. Cambone, undersecretary of defense for intelligence, and U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Lance L. Smith, deputy commander with U.S. Central Command.
In his report, Taguba concluded that U.S. military police in Iraq inflicted "sadistic, blatant and wanton criminal abuse" on prisoners in their custody numerous times. Seven soldiers face criminal charges in the case and six others, all officers or noncommissioned officers, have been reprimanded. (Gallery: Abuse at Abu Ghraib -- contains graphic images, viewer discretion advised)
Some of those implicated in the case have said they were told to prepare the prisoners for questioning by military intelligence officers at Abu Ghraib. (Gallery: The military's report on abuse allegations in Iraq)
A Red Cross report delivered to U.S. and British officials in February warned that prisoners considered likely sources of intelligence faced coercion that in some cases was "tantamount to torture." (Red Cross: Treatment of Iraqis 'tantamount to torture')
Photographs of naked, hooded Iraqi prisoners being sexually humiliated stirred anger at home and abroad, prompting President Bush to publicly apologize for their treatment. (Poll: Bush approval hits new lows; chart of poll results)
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld revealed during testimony last week that hundreds of other photographs existed, as well as digital video. (Rumsfeld tells Congress of his 'failure')
Senate leaders said that there is broad bipartisan agreement that the images should be made available to members of the Senate, but said that they do not want to take possession of that material until the rules under which senators will view them are properly established.
"Once the question of these pictures coming up here was raised, I decided this is an institutional problem," said Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, who said he has asked the Pentagon not to send the pictures up until the Senate is ready.
Lawyers for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Minority Leader Tom Daschle, Warner and ranking committee Democrat Carl Levin are now examining the legal issues around the release of the pictures and videos, a process that could take all of Tuesday at least.
"We're not starting this game until we know how it ends," said a senior Frist aide.