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47 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, November 25, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 15, 2004 Wyden: Release prison-abuse images By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Despite a week punctuated by horrendous images that included the beheading of an American by Islamic militants, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said that the remaining photos of Iraqi prisoners tortured at the hands of some American soldiers should be released to the public. "It is a very tough call because this is not what you want the world to see as being America," the Oregon Democratic senator said during a phone interview Thursday. "This is something that makes me concerned about the ramifications for our troops. It is going to be very difficult to convince the world that America is moving past this as long as the pictures are kept secret." U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith could not be reached for comment Thursday or Friday. Rep. Greg Walden, who also viewed the photos, stated in an e-mail Friday, "The release of additional photos or videos will hinder the prosecution of those who violated the law and will most likely constitute a further violation of the Geneva Convention. "Additional images will further incite violence against our men and women in uniform around the world. The most important course of action is to complete the criminal investigations and courts-martial and then tear down Abu Ghraib prison once and for all." Advertisement Wyden, who is on the Senate Intelligence Committee, declined to comment on specific images he saw, but news accounts cite scenes of sexual degradation and prisoners menaced by dogs. This week, one soldier was accused of using a nightstick to beat an Iraqi detainee screaming for mercy who had been shot in the legs and handcuffed to a bed. "This has been a very painful week to read and watch the news," said Wyden. "The horrible videotape murder of Nick Berg is just a grotesque atrocity and has got to be condemned in the strongest manner. The details of the additional photos that I and others saw yesterday (Wednesday) are just sickening." Wyden said the images do not reflect on the majority of men and women in the military who have served with honor and distinction. Wyden doesn’t think the abuse was only the work of a few rogue soldiers, however. "It’s hard to see that this just began and stopped with a handful of soldiers at the bottom of the chain of command," he said. Wyden refrained from commenting on whether President Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld have helped set a tone that has led to the abuses. "I don’t go about condemning the motives of any American president," he said, adding, "I had reservations about this approach from the very beginning." He was one of 23 senators who voted against the Iraqi war. At the time, Wyden declassified a letter that quoted a senior intelligence witness as saying Iraq didn’t present an imminent threat to the United States — something he said was largely ignored. But while Wyden questioned the assumptions used to go into the Iraq war, he also said the Clinton administration missed signals about the terrorist threat. He also questioned whether there are adequate troops in Iraq, and said the country needs to provide soldiers with sufficient equipment to ensure their safety. Wyden said other questions need to be answered, such as where the hoods and leashes came from that were used on the prisoners. "Do people get all this stuff by osmosis?" he said. "I don’t think so." The mounting expenses of the war are also a concern for Wyden, as they were when he voted against it. "When you pretty much go it alone, you pay the bill by yourself," he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. 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