May 9, 2004

Goodman Calls for Release of Prisoner Photos and Video

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld revealed during his testimony before a U.S. Senate committee that he is in possession of a videotape of Iraqi prisoners being abused. He also has numerous previously undisclosed photos of prisoner abuse. Rumsfeld did not reveal the contents of the tape or photos but indicated that they were similar to the images that have become public in recent days.

Lee Goodman, Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from the 10th district of Illinois, called upon the President to immediately order the release of the images. “It is regrettable that this disclosure is necessary, but the administration’s failure to promptly deal with the problem of prisoner abuse has created a crisis. I don’t want to see the images. I’m sure most people don’t. They should not be broadcast on television. But these images must be available for inspection because they may contain clues about how many U.S. service people and contractors were involved and to what extent the abuse was systemic. The disclosure will be painful for the families of the prisoners, but they deserve the opportunity to find out exactly what happened. The disclosure may be embarrassing to the administration, but the credibility of the United States is being questioned. Our troops in Iraq have been placed in jeopardy by the initial revelations of the abuse of prisoners. Our military will not be accepted in Iraq as long as the administration withholds evidence. A complete examination of the facts is the only appropriate course for us to take,” said Goodman.

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