Senator Durbin's Comments

SENATOR DURBIN'S COMMENTS -- (House of Representatives - June 21, 2005)

(Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, Senator Durbin spoke for millions of Americans who are horrified and shocked about the treatment, the mistreatment of prisoners who have not been given the right to be notified of where they are, prisoners who were hung by their arms, who reported homicides, the scandals and the cover-ups.

Yes, these are dangerous people that are in these prisons. Many of them may be guilty of very serious crimes. But the fact of the matter is America cannot be a beacon for freedom and justice and liberty when it is doing it by abusing prisoners.

As Senator Durbin said, if you have read these without knowing the country, you would be horrified because these are the practices that are associated with dictatorships and countries without the rule of law and countries of repression. The fact of the matter is, this administration should have an independent investigation of the treatment of prisoners in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. They should do it immediately so that we do not continue to have these incidents become magnets for the recruitment of the insurgents.

If somebody is worried about our troops, maybe the Republicans and the President could apologize for sending them into battle without body armor, for sending them into battle without sufficient numbers to protect them, to send them in battle without properly armed Humvees, because that is what causes parents to grieve for the loss of their lives.

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