Kent Conrad: “I rise today to reflect and respond to the reports of what has happened in Iraq over the last several weeks--the…”

“I rise today to reflect and respond to the reports of what has happened in Iraq over the last several weeks--the pictures emerging of U.S. soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners, the appalling treatment of those in our custody. I have struggled over the last several days to put into words my own reactions to these images from half a world away. I have been angered by it, and I have been, in some ways, sickened by it. This has besmirched the reputation of our country, damaged the reputation of our soldiers serving in Iraq, the vast majority of whom have served honorably, many of them heroically. Yet, what is dominating the news not only in our country but around the world are images of American soldiers torturing and humiliating those we have captured. This does enormous damage to our cause against terrorism. It does enormous damage to America's standing in the world. Think of how we would feel if these images were of our soldiers and American citizens being treated this way by Iraqis. What would be the reaction in America if we saw our soldiers being humiliated and abused in the most immoral ways? This is, first and foremost, an issue of morality. What has happened is morally wrong. It is wrong to humiliate people. It is wrong to abuse people. It is wrong to torture people. Those are fundamental values. Those are American values. Those are values that are shared by virtually every person in this country.…”