Investigate Abuse in Cuba, Iraq and Afghanistan

In late 2002, two Afghani men died while in U.S. custody at the Bagram Collection Point in Afghanistan. Autopsies established that their deaths were homicides. At least one of them is believed to have been innocent of the charges that landed him at Bagram in the first place, but both deaths are utterly inexcusable.

I believe that their deaths were the result of torture techniques that were approved at the highest levels of government, and not simply the result of a couple of overzealous interrogators. Captain Carolyn Wood, who oversaw interrogations at Bagram, was actually promoted and transferred to Iraq after those two detainees were killed. In Iraq, she oversaw interrogations at Abu Ghraib.

Yet you can be sure that the Bush Administration, which demands accountability from everyone but itself, won’t take any responsibility this time either. Nor will the Republican Congress initiate any serious investigations that might embarrass a Republican President. It’s a shame when loyalty to party trumps loyalty to justice, but it has become de rigeur in Washington.

I am going to offer a "resolution of inquiry" that, if passed by the House, would compel the Bush Administration to hand over key documents that could shed light on who authorized what at detention facilities in Iraq, Cuba, and Afghanistan. Under the rules of the House, Republicans will have to debate the resolution and take a vote on it. They should do the right thing and take this tragedy seriously. But if they don’t, they’ll be on record against the resolution for all of the world to see.

When America fails to punish the people responsible for these kind of atrocities, it makes the job harder for all of our troops; it makes it easier for Osama bin Laden to find new recruits; and it ultimately undermines our national security. But beyond that, it’s just plain wrong. In Afghanistan right now, an innocent man is missed by his mother and his wife. We share a common humanity with people all over the globe, and we owe it to that family to bring them justice.