Replies

From yesterday.

IRAQI PRISONERS -- (Senate - May 11, 2004)

[Page: S5220] GPO's PDF
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Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the distinguished majority leader, Senator Daschle, Senator Levin, and I have been working with the Department of Defense regarding additional photos relative to the tragic case of the treatment of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. personnel, military and otherwise. We have reached a decision with the total cooperation of the Department of Defense whereby those pictures will be brought to Senate S-407 tomorrow. There will be a representative from the Department there to help Members work their way through such pictures as they wish to examine from 2 to 5, at which time the pictures and everything will be returned to the Department since the Department will maintain constant custody of those, that evidentiary material throughout the time.

I ask unanimous consent the letter Senator Levin and I have sent to the Department regarding viewing and inspection of this material--all Senators are eligible, no staff--be printed in the RECORD.

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:

U.S. SENATE

COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES,

Washington, DC, May 11, 2004.
Hon. DONALD H. RUMSFELD,
Secretary of Defense, Washington, DC.

DEAR MR. SECRETARY: We request the Department of Defense provide the Committee on Armed Services an opportunity to review the photos and videos regarding the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Further, it is our intent to extend this opportunity to all Members of the United States Senate.

These materials should be brought to the Senate for review, but will remain under the control of the Defense Department. At no time will the Committee, the Senate, or any Member or employee thereof, take custody of, or assume responsibility for, these materials. A Defense Department official will return these materials to the Pentagon after the materials have been reviewed by Members, subject to our subsequent recall if necessary.

Committee staff will coordinate the details of this request directly with your office.

Sincerely,

Carl Levin,

Ranking Member

John W. Warner,

Chairman.