Dennis Kucinich: “I join with my fellow Members of Congress in deploring the abuse of prisoners in Iraq by U.S. personnel. But this…”

“I join with my fellow Members of Congress in deploring the abuse of prisoners in Iraq by U.S. personnel. But this resolution does not go far enough. It does not go far enough to ensure that a full and complete investigation and prosecution is undertaken. We should be opening Congressional investigations, not simply relying upon the Army to investigate itself. It does not go far enough to demand accountability of the top military and civilian leadership of this fiasco in Iraq. We should demand the resignation of the Secretary of Defense, since we know that "rotten apples" are the fruit of a poison tree. And it's the top leadership who have grown that tree--the culture of permissiveness, disregard for the truth, and lack of accountability. It does not go far enough to express America's regret and sorrow for the crimes committed at Abu Ghraib prison, and possibly elsewhere. We should apologize on behalf of the American people to the Iraqi people. We have not begun to go far enough to examine the true intent and conduct of the leadership of this country. We have not gone far enough to assign responsibility and demand accountability for the misinformation and untruths that were marshaled to lead us to war. We have not gone far enough to bring an end to this unjustified war. As a result, we are seemingly surprised to discover, and then we deplore, corruption that is all too predictable from this imperial misadventure.”