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Rumsfeld: There are a lot more photos and videos. If they are released to the public, there will be trouble. If they're sent to news organization and taken out of investigative process, that's where we'll be. Re Abu Graib, provisional government will decide; up to the Iraqis.

Cornyn: Listening to Q&A so far, two major problems, shock to our sensibilities and shock to Congress to see the pictures in the press. Re due process and command influence. CENTCOM January report announcing investigation. "Release of specific info could hinder investigation."

Military subscribes to high standards. What you have described of chronology of investigation gives him confidence that DoD has taken it as seriously as it should have. Realizes not all facts are in yet. But have been criminal charges against some.

Describe how you will see they get due process and see that information does not drift out on a piecemeal basis.

Rumsfeld: That's the dilemma. Protect rights of accused but don't allow them to escape through command influence on chain of command. It's a problem. Outcry would be tremendous if command looked down too early, but otherwise don't know when something like this is there.

Bayh: You serve at the pleasure of the President. I assume he sets policy and accepts responsiblity for implementation. Long tradition of buck stopping at 1600 PA Av. Question of presidential response. Difficult question is to follow up on Graham's question: your resignation has been called for. You said if you could not be effective you would step down, but not because of a political witch hunt.

Though you weren't involved in underlying acts, wouldn't it help our reputation if you did step down?

Rumsfeld: It's possible.

Bayh: Effort may be bogging down. Read from Tom Friedman's column of yesterday. "In danger of losing America as _____ of morality." Do you believe we're on the right course, or is it necessary to regain momentum.

Rumsfeld: It's a tough road, a bumpy road. I am convinced that we are doing exactly what ought to be done -- pass responsiblity to Iraqis, recognizing that they must provide for their own security -- why so much effort into training.

You might find this email I just sent out to be of interest in light of what you said about the high standards the military tries to uphold:

Hi all,

Save this email for future reference to see if I'm right or wrong in this prediction:

The *pictures* of sado-masochists, and other like-minds doing their thing with Iraqi prisoners (rather than just in the San Francisco bath houses, porn web sites, and at the Parliment House in Orlando, Fl., for example) is going to serve to get the "don't ask, don't tell" contingent drummed out of the military, more than any "words" people have used to keep them out of there so far.