Lawmakers Say New Abuse Photos Even Worse
By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. troops went beyond the photos seen by most Americans, shaken lawmakers said Wednesday after viewing fresh pictures and video that they said depicted forced sex, brutality and dogs snarling at cowed prisoners.

"I don't know how the hell these people got into our army," said Colorado Republican Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell after viewing what he called a fraction of the images.

Not everyone reacted the same way to the additional photos.

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said he thought "some people are overreacting."

"The people who are against the war are using this to their political ends," he said.

The difference between us and them?

They videotape the brutal decapitation of an American civilian and deliver a defiant anti-American message, and we are appalled by their actions.

We photograph the deliberate humiliation and physical and sexual assault of several Iraqi civilians - possibly to illegally assist in interrogations, possibly out of boredom - and are appalled by their reaction.

We abhor the idea of their targetting American civilians.

We have no problem rousting their villages, arresting everyone in sight for interrogations that violate international standards.

We define them by the actions of a few.

We reject being defined by the actions of a few.

...

"America, America. Let us pray for our country. Let us love our country. Let us defend our country not only from the threats without but from the threats within. Crown thy good, America. Crown thy good with brotherhood, and sisterhood. And crown thy good with compassion and restraint and forbearance and a commitment to peace, to democracy, to economic justice here at home and throughout the world.

Crown thy good, America. Crown thy good America. Crown thy good."

--Dennis Kucinich, February 17, 2002