House Democrats plan Abu Ghraib investigation

[Judi Lynn]

House Democrats plan Abu Ghraib investigation
Alleging GOP cover-up, they ask president for documents on scandal
By Julie Hirschfeld Davis
Sun National Staff
Originally published June 4, 2004
WASHINGTON - Accusing House Republicans of blocking a formal investigation of the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal, Democrats said yesterday that they would launch their own inquiry, and called on President Bush to send them "key documents" - some of them classified - about the allegations.
The announcement was the latest sign that the prison abuse allegations, which initially caused bipartisan alarm and revulsion, have become another flashpoint on Capitol Hill as Republicans have grown concerned that the charges are damaging Bush's electoral chances. Some Democrats, on the other hand, say they smell a cover-up by Republicans.

"Despite the magnitude of the Abu Ghraib and other detainee abuses and their enormous ramifications for our effort in Iraq and U.S. foreign policy, no House committees are currently undertaking a formal public investigation," six senior Democrats wrote in a letter to Bush yesterday.

"While we would prefer to participate in committee investigations ... we cannot allow the refusal of the Republican leadership and the committee chairs to pursue these matters to obstruct Congress' access to essential information," wrote the group, including the top Democrats on the Defense, International Relations and Intelligence committees.
(snip/...)

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.prison04jun04,0,1489228.story?coll=bal-nationworld-headlines

[hippywife]

1. This little quote is very telling

"It's very apparent that our biggest challenge is to continue doing what we can to support the morale and the efforts of our troops" in Iraq, Lewis said. Compared to that task, he added, "what happened at Abu Ghraib is a very minor item."

[struggle4progress]

2. kick

:kick: