Washington, D.C. - United States Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) released the following statement after reviewing new photographs and video of abuse in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq:
“The photographs show cruel, dehumanizing, and reprehensible conduct. They strengthen my conviction that a full congressional investigation is necessary.
“The damage done to our efforts to win the hearts of the Iraqi people may be irreversible, but we owe it to the 130,000 American troops putting their lives on the line in Iraq to show the world that America will not tolerate such abuse. We must take strong action to demonstrate that we understand the severity of the problem and blunt the damage done to our image and reputation around the world. Failure to send a strong signal will further strengthen the hand of Al Qaeda and terrorist groups who will use these photographs to bolster recruits and promote their cause.”