Congress Watch: Democrats push for probe of detainee abuse
After months of wrangling, leading Democrats in Congress have agreed on a unified approach to push for an independent investigation into allegations of abuse of detainees at military-run prisons in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Democrats hope next week to introduce the measure, which would call for the creation of an independent panel modeled on the 9/11 commission, as part of the debate on the Defense Department reauthorization bill.
The proposal is being spearheaded by California Rep. Henry Waxman, who has secured the support of most key Democrats, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Ike Skelton, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. Democrats are hoping that calling for a commission, rather than some other kind of inquiry, will be perceived as being less political and help them attract broader support for the measure. So far, no Republicans have officially signed on, meaning the bill's chances of moving forward are limited. But Democrats are hoping that the continuing trickle of allegations of abuse of detainees–and, recently, of their Korans–might change the tide in their favor. One event to watch: The Pentagon has been ordered by a federal court to release a new batch of photographs, and even videos, of alleged Abu Ghraib prison wrongdoings to the American Civil Liberties Union by the end of the month as part of a Freedom of Information Act request.
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