Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=5-5-04

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=CONGRESS - IRAQ (L-O)

NUMBER=2-315650

BYLINE=DEBORAH TATE

DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: U-S Congressional hearings into the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U-S troops continued for a second day Wednesday. The Senate Intelligence Committee examined the matter in closed session, as correspondent Deborah Tate reports.

TEXT: Emerging from the hearing, Intelligence Committee chairman Senator Pat Roberts, a Kansas Republican, called the mistreatment of the Iraqi prisoners 'deplorable'.

/// ROBERTS ACTUALITY ///

From what I have heard it appears to be a failure of judgment, a failure of discipline, and a failure of leadership.

/// END ACT ///

The Vice chairman of the panel, Senator Jay Rockefellar of West Virginia, called for a probe into the activities at all U-S facilities worldwide where enemy combatants are being detained.

Elsewhere in the Senate, Democrats called for those responsible to be held accountable.

Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee:

/// DODD ACTUALITY ///

This idea that there is a chain of command but nobody assumes any responsibility up that chain of command is unacceptable.

/// END ACT ///

The top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, said if blame goes all the way to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's office, then he should resign.

Mr. Rumsfeld is to address the Iraqi prisoner abuse matter at a public hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee Friday morning. The panel's chairman, Senator John Warner of Virginia, said the Defense Secretary would be accompanied by other top military officials.

Meanwhile, the Bush administration is asking Congress for an additional 25 billion dollars for U-S military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, reversing its stance that it would not to seek such money until after the November elections.

The funding request comes amid heightened violence in Iraq, which has prompted the Defense Department to plan on keeping more troops in the country than originally envisioned.

In a written statement, President Bush said, in his words, 'while we do not know the precise costs for operations next year, recent developments on the ground and increased demands on our troops indicate the need to plan for contingencies.' He said it was important to make sure there is no disruption in funding and resources for U-S troops.

The money would be for the budget year that begins October first.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Don Nickles, an Oklahoma Republican, says he is not surprised by the request:

/// NICKLES ACTUALITY ///

We were planning for it, we were budgeting for it, and we were assuming that money would be available for 2005.

/// END ACT ///

The money would be in additional to the 87 billion dollar measure Congress approved last November, and a 79 billion dollar package lawmakers passed in April of last year.

NEB/DAT/FC