The Democrats are in high dudgeon over the Iraqi prisoner abuse case.
Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., emerged from the briefing saying he feared allegations made public so far are "the beginning rather than the end" of the abuse allegations.As the committee met, Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said on the Senate floor that he wanted to know why Bush hadn't been informed of the report, "Why, in other words, has there been this extraordinary disconnect, this unbelievable failure of communication, of oversight
Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., said the issue must be addressed with "far more urgency" by the administration and resignations may be needed.
"It's the single most damaging act to our interests in the region in the last decade, and it will negatively affect our national security," Biden said in a statement. "Accountability is essential … if the answers are unsatisfactory, resignations should be sought."
"This is going to be an election issue. These pictures are going to frame this election unless this president, as commander in chief, acts decisively now." - California Rep. Jane Harman, ranking Democrat on Intelligence Committee.
Oh Really Rep Harman? Your party's presumptive presidential nominee claims to have committed atrocities in Vietnam, how do you square his past with your moral outrage? Hmmm? Do you really believe electing a self-confessed war criminal will give the Arab world comfort? Al-Jazeera will use Kerry's own words against the US as further proof of our perfidy.
("Meet The Press" Audiotape, April 18, 1971):MR. CROSBY NOYES (Washington Evening Star): Mr. Kerry, you said at one time or another that you think our policies in Vietnam are tantamount to genocide and that the responsibility lies at all chains of command over there. Do you consider that you personally as a Naval officer committed atrocities in Vietnam or crimes punishable by law in this country?
SEN. KERRY: There are all kinds of atrocities, and I would have to say that, yes, yes, I committed the same kind of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers have committed in that I took part in shootings in free fire zones. I conducted harassment and interdiction fire. I used 50 calibre machine guns, which we were granted and ordered to use, which were our only weapon against people. I took part in search and destroy missions, in the burning of villages. All of this is contrary to the laws of warfare, all of this is contrary to the Geneva Conventions and all of this is ordered as a matter of written established policy by the government of the United States from the top down. And I believe that the men who designed these, the men who designed the free fire zone, the men who ordered us, the men who signed off the air raid strike areas, I think these men, by the letter of the law, the same letter of the law that tried Lieutenant Calley, are war criminals.
(End audiotape)