Denise Majette: “I rise today to condemn torture in all of its forms. Acts of abuse and torture must never be tolerated, and those who…”

“I rise today to condemn torture in all of its forms. Acts of abuse and torture must never be tolerated, and those who commit such acts must be swiftly brought to justice. It is with great sadness and anger that I viewed the pictures of frightened, humiliated, and, in some cases, injured Iraqi prisoners in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison. Prisoners should never be forced to endure such atrocious behavior, no matter what the cause for their detention. The acts committed on these prisoners are an injustice to the Iraqis who were victimized, the citizens of Iraq, the hundreds of thousands of U.S. soldiers who have served their country in Iraq so honorably over the past year, and all people who hope and pray for peace the world over. Because of the rage these pictures have generated in Iraq and across the Arab world, I am concerned for the safety of our brave soldiers as they patrol the streets in Iraq, guard police stations and hospitals and work to rebuild the infrastructure of the country.”