Instant Analysis: Rumsfeld Testimony

Robert G. Kaiser (The Washington Post)

Graphic images of Iraqi prisoners humiliated and abused at the hands of Americans have stirred up outrage in the Arab nations and the U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, under fire from congressional Democrats and other critics, answered questions in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee on the detainees treatment.

Washington Post Associate Editor Robert G. Kaiser took your questions and comments on the prisoner mistreatment in Iraq, the political repercussions from the scandal and Rumsfeld's testimony before the committee.

A transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Robert G. Kaiser : Hello to all. We will begin our discussion now since it is already after 2 p.m., and despite the fact that the Senate hearing is still continuing.

Those who have been watching have, in my opinion, seen a good example of how frustrating "congressional oversight" can be in the modern age. The questioning wasn't very good, nor very coherent. The posturing was excellent on all sides! The amount of new information learned was not great.

We have many interesting comments and questions already, and I will spend the next hour or so responding to them.

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Washington, D.C.: On the topic of damage control: Rated on a scale of 1 - 10, with 10 being the pits --- exactly how badly had the abuse scandal damaged U.S. military interests in Iraq and what are the prospects for recovery? We have lost the moral high ground, some say. I personally don't think we ever had it. More accurately, we have lost the pretense to a moral high ground. Will Bush have to finally cave in and call in the U.N. to dig us out the mess he's made?

Robert G. Kaiser : This is a good question with which to begin. Personally I think this is a 10, not just in Iraq, but in the world. I would ask my colleagues at washingtonpost.com to link here to a fine piece on today's paper by Robin Wright of The Post that lays out the damage done.

Bush is already trying hard to get the U.N. to pass a new resolution that would encourage other countries as well as the U.N. itself to help us now. I think there is a very real question about whether the U.S. will win approval for such a resolution.

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Houston, Tex.: Should we trust the military to do their own investigation? There are videos and hundreds of other images that have not come to light yet, according to Mr. Rumsfeld. I am very suspicious that the military will continue to downplay and cover up worse atrocities since a ahndful of image produced that major international reaction.

Robert G. Kaiser : Well, personally I'd say yes, we can trust them this time, because everyone involved NOW realizes how much is at stake. And I suspect all the evidence will come to light in the weeks ahead. In the news business, we talk about stories that "have legs" -- that will stay in the public eye for more than a few news cycles. This story has legs.

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Galway, Ireland: Mr. Rumsfeld said the President was told in January that there were abuses, and they were being investigated. Wouldn't most Presidents have understood the risks of a Western occupation of a Muslim land and stayed on top of this explosive issue; asked questions over the next weeks; demanded answers; insisted on seeing the report? The man in the White House is truly "Incurious George" -- and that's the real problem.
-- Walter of Chapel Hill, NC in Galway where all news channels are carring the hearings live and people are watching in pubs.

Robert G. Kaiser : "Most presidents" is a risky category for me. I do think this president has demonstrated a surprising lack of curiosity about a lot of things since he became president. To judge this incident, I think we'd need to know just what Rumsfeld told Bush, and just how Bush reacted. I don't know either, and this hearing didn't help.

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Cheverly, Md.: What do you make of Sen. Graham's ominous warning that "the worst is yet to come," in terms of evidence of prisoner abuse? I shudder to think what could be worse than what we've already seen.

Robert G. Kaiser : I thought he was referring to motion pictures, video, of the abuse, which would be more powerful than still photos. And I think Rumsfeld confirmed that such video does exist. Movies and television remind us daily of the power of MOVING pictures.

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Washington, D.C.: Given that he was tortured as POW by the Vietcong, do you think that Senator McCain should have recused himself from questioning Secretary Rumsfeld today?

Robert G. Kaiser : Not at all. Why should his Vietnam experience somehow disqualify him now?

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Seattle, Wash.: Who took the notorious photos, and how did they make their way to the government and the media?

Robert G. Kaiser : Members of the guard unit involved seem to have been the photographers. We don't know how CBS got the original photos, but by the time they got them, military investigators and lawyers had had them for weeks or months. We at The Post know that members of the guard unit from Western Maryland also had copies of the photos.

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Santa Barbara, Calif.: If the president is open to apologizing, wouldn't it make more sense to apologize to the people who were the victims in the prison, rather than some third party like King Abdullah? If I were a victim in a crime, and the perpetrator got caught and then apologized in a roundabout way (with disclaimers) to someone who lived down the street from me ("I'm sorry, that's not who I really am"), that "apology" would be pretty much meaningless to me.

Robert G. Kaiser : thanks for the comment.

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Anonymous: It is hard o believe that anybody would be stupid enough to have your picture taken abusing prisoners unless these people actually believed these pictures made their supervisor happy. Please comment! What do the American soldiers in the pictures say?

Robert G. Kaiser : Interesting point. I fear we are seeing the consequences of the age we live in. People want to be seen, want to show others what they did and where they were.

I haven't seen a direct comment in response to your question from any of those pictures.

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Gaithersburg, Md.: Do you think the Iraqi prison revelations will have an impact upon Supreme Court deliberations in the Padilla/Hamdi vs. Rumsfeld cases? Secondly, do you consider it illegal or unethical for a DOD official to have requested a 2 week delay of CBS's release of this information in a manner that precluded it from being known during Supreme Court arguments on these cases? Is as investigation of this warranted? (refer to Letter to Editor in today's Post from defendant's attorney in one of these cases)

Robert G. Kaiser : Interesting question. There is a letter to the editor of today's Post from a lawyer who filed briefs in the case noting that because CBS delayed its broadcast two weeks, the case was argued in the Supreme Court just hours before 6o Minutes II breoadcast the photos--too soon for the justices to know about them before the oral argument. But they know about them now. I'd be surprised if these events don't affect the thinking of at least some of the nine justices.

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Akron, Ohio: As upsetting and serious as the prisoners abuses in Iraq appear to be, I don't understand why these hearings are being broadcast on every channel. Rumsfeld isn't going to resign; The Bush administration doesn't work that way. With the election seven months away, wouldn't this be too large a concession of failure? Wouldn't it leave Bush more exposed to his critics instead of dangling but not punishing Rumsfeld?

Robert G. Kaiser : Good points. The decision of all the networks to broadcast the hearings shows that, as I said, this story has legs. And Rumsfeld's apologetic confession of errors makes a good story. But Bush's characteristic reaction yesterday to suggestions that Rumsfeld leave his cabinet indicates to me that he and you think alike.

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Somerville, Mass.: Please explain what ethics the news media has in determining whether or not to show any further disturbing video or pictures. And what is your opinion of the general's comment today that he tried to get CBS to stop their report (airing the photos) because the security of our troops were at stake?

Robert G. Kaiser : Second one first: ridiculous. They had a fiasco on their hands, and hoped they could somehow avoid it. Danger to the troops was of course a possibility, but total humiliation for the United States was a certainty, as we have now seen.

The first is, literally, a matter of taste. All good news organizations have standards; some higher than others. I haven't myself seen the gory details, particularly the sexual activity, which I am told is revolting. The networks don't put such X rated stuff on the air, and we don't publish them.

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Houston, Tex.:
Should we really be addressing the incidents rather than the climate that may have made such incidents less important to our soldiers ?

Robert G. Kaiser : very good question.

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Arlington, Va.: With the International Red Cross indicating they had documented abuses against Iraqi detainees as far back as last year, is there talk in Washington of this elevating beyond the beltway, such as to the Hague?

Robert G. Kaiser : Haven't heard any such talk yet. I suspect the Red Cross reports are going to be a further embarrassment for the U.S.

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Raleigh, N.C.: On January 22, the Joint Staff prepared a report as the result of my inquiries through Sen. Elizabeth Dole into allegations of detainee abuse -- particularly regarding the detention of noncombatant children. In that report, Maj. Gen. J.F. Sattler and LtC. Julio Alvarez stated that "the Coalition implemented a detainee review process that provides broader prcedural discretions than outlined by the GC [Geneva Conventions]." Does this mean that the U.S. no longer considers the Geneva Conventions to govern its actions regarding civilians it detains -- as opposed to "enemy combatants" it allegedly picks up from a battlefield?

Robert G. Kaiser : No, it doesn't mean that. Gen. Myers said bluntly in this hearing that the Geneva conventions do apply in Iraq.

I'd like to know more about this report. Can you e-mail details to me? robertgkaiser@yahoo.com. thanks.

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Washington, D.C.: To those who question if the military can do their own investigation I'd refer them to the Taguba report. It slams the entire chain of command at the prison.

Robert G. Kaiser : good point.

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New York City, N.Y.: This is just all so predictable -- why even watch it? There will be the partisan back-and-forth. The Democrats attacking Bush and Rumsfeld. The Republicans saying this shouldn't obscure all the good we're doing. No different than the disgusting display at the 9/11 Commission. It's pathetic.

Robert G. Kaiser : not American democracy's finest hour, I agree.

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Arlington, Va.: I think the prisoner abuse scandal could turn out to be a political godsend for Bush, domestically, that is. It looks like the quagmire in Iraq could be Bush's biggest obstacle to re-election. Let's says Rumsfeld doesn't survive the scandal -- or better yet, let's say Dick Cheney tells his old boss to walk the plank. As the election season heats up, Karl Rove can keep planting the story that you can't blame Bush for Iraq, because after all, he got such bad information from his former Defense Secretary.

Robert G. Kaiser : With all due respect, I think you're nuts.

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Redwood City, Calif.: Does it appear to you that Mr. Rumsfeld's contrition is focusing more on the existence of the photographs than on the behavior they document?

Robert G. Kaiser : No.

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Boston, Mass.: As I doubt that public opinion will call for Rumsfeld head (I think the country was more outraged over the Super Bowl halftime show), isn't this issue far more about how the U.S. is perceived overseas, especially in the Arab world rather than public opinion at home? Do you think that foreign opinion could force Rumsfeld out or is that highly unlikely, also do you think this is Rumsfled last strike?

Robert G. Kaiser : Don't know. I commend to your attention today's piece in The Post from Cairo by Howard Schneider, to which I hope my colleagues can provide a link here.

Foreign opinion against us is very strong now. Coping with that problem is just an enormous challenge for the administration. I have no idea how it will confront that challenge.

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Morgantown, W.Va.: I am concerned that the acts of abuse reflect a combination of individual moral lapses, the bizarre social psychology of guards and prisoners, and a systemic sense of arrogance that pervades the policies and personalities of the defense department, up to and including the commander in chief. The question is, how do we as a country deal with this and begin to try to change the perception of the USA in the eyes of the world. Ideas such as financial compensation seem to me to be a slap in the face of those who were humiliated, and perpetuate the arrogance of the administration. Instead, I think that leaders at the very top of this defense department need to be removed to demonstrate how seriously Americans take this issue. Do you think this would have any impact on the feelings and opinions of Arab people?

Robert G. Kaiser : Thanks for the comment. I have no idea what would change Arab feelings now. Personally I wonder if this president can ever regain Arab good will, which he began to lose at the very beginning of his administration.

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Outside the Beltway: Thank you for doing this; you have a great knack for knowing when .com readers (at least this one) need an open topical forum.

We were sold in 2000 a CEO-style administration (a near plurality bought it). A successful executive in any organization trusts his/her managers, but also relentlessly applies his/her experience to spot trouble, challenge assumptions, follow up, demand execution and follow through. Evidently, the Harvard Business School in the 1970s only taught the very initial part of that equation.

Has any president in your lifetime been so prone to missing the point -- the trouble spot? -- with such disastrous results? Or are these just far more challenging times? Have we had a president and secretary of defense in the last 50 years who would have said, "Gee, we need to win hearts and minds in the Arab world, better get out in front of this prisoner abuse issue before it gets in front of us."

Apologies for the lengthy question...

Robert G. Kaiser : These are unprecedented times. Which doesn't mean you're wrong about the administration's failures this time. This is just a huge mess, and it's difficult for me today to wrap my arms around all of it. I'm not going to try!

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Silver Spring, Md.: Why have we not heard any comments from the soldiers in the pictures. Surely they have been interviewed. Since these pictures have been released to the public, they should be allowed to comment. Are they being shielded by the Pentagon and not allowed to talk publically (might be embarrassing to the Pentagon if they comment)?

Robert G. Kaiser : Hey, those kids are in big trouble! They've got lawyers by now, and they know they fould face jail time. Would you be talking in such circumstances?

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St. Paul, Minn.: My concern is that the Iraqi prisoner abuse issue is symptomatic of a larger problem in the Bush administration. Namely, that the President is not informed, not in control and not accountable.

Our system of government is based on the principal of oversight of the Executive branch by the Legislative branch. I find the information disconnect between Congress and the administration very disturbing.

Robert G. Kaiser : Me too. Thanks.

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Frederick, Md.: Isn't Pres Bush the "Commander in Chief?" Doesn't this make him just as responsible for the officers and soldiers he "commands? And therefore, Just as, if not more, as responsible as Rumsfeld?

Robert G. Kaiser : He is the commander in chief, but it doesn't seem to me that that makes him more responsible than the secretary of defense.

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London, UK: What do you know about the 3 dozen so-called private contractors responsible for interrogations? What are their nationalities? What chain of command do they recognize?

Robert G. Kaiser : Only two have been named, as far as I know.

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London, UK: Armed conflict is the ultimate dehumanising experience. Are politicians being realistic in expecting trained fighters to act as worthy ambassadors, or is the abuse and humiliation of captives an inevitable corollary of the circumstances?

Robert G. Kaiser : Very good question/comment. I think we kid ourselves when we say or suggest that war can be controlled, that it won't produce My Lais and Abu Ghraibs and such. War is hell, I learned that covering Vietnam 35 years ago. It produces hellish behavior--not universally, of course, but often. Resorting to war is always risky because once it is launched, it cannot be fully controlled.

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Annapolis, Md.: The one comment I have seen is that the mother of one of the guards says she was ordered to do these things. Is it at all possible that this scandal is going affect people in real ranks, i.e. Captains of above?

Robert G. Kaiser : sure.

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Hong Kong, China: How much credibility does United States have on human rights with the increasing damning evidence and disclosure of the widespread systemic torture and abuse of its untried captives in a country which it has invaded without the sanction of the United Nations?

Robert G. Kaiser : Well, a lot less than it had before all this began, I'd say. How much less must be measured by each person, each government.

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Houston, Tex.:
If news report are accurate it would appear that Secretary Powell is looking for a way to leave with at least his sense of outrage intact. What odds do you give that he will make it through the next three weeks ?

Robert G. Kaiser : I expect him to make it to the end of the year, or at least until November, but not much longer.

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Nederland, Colo.: Given that for months Bremer was "`kicking and screaming' about the need to release thousands of uncharged prisoners and improve conditions" and Rumsfeld "take[s] full responsibility" for "`as serious an issue of military misconduct as [Republican Senator Warner has] ever observed' in 60 years", how can Rumsfeld remain in office? If he stayed wouldn't that mean either his responsibility was less than full, or the issue was not so serious? Will the talk be walked? Thank you.

Robert G. Kaiser : It sounded to me as though Rumsfeld has no intention of leaving any time soon.

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Winnipeg, Canada: It seems to me that the official response to the torture scandal is to let the buck stop at Rumsfeld. And yet the President has repeatedly either walked away from or refued to ratify international agreements, and his administration has openly admitted that the Guantanimo detention camp exists to avoid international (and national) law.

With this kind of attitude to the law at the highest level, how surprising is it that prison guards would take the attitude that the law (and common rules of decency) do not apply to them? This seem to me to be a far graver offense than a president enjoying some sexual hijinks with a willing intern. Do you see impeachement on the horizon? As a Canadian, I am not sure how impeachment works.

Robert G. Kaiser : Thanks for posting. Impeachment is not yet on the visible horizon. It works in a complicated way, but must begin in the House Judiciary Committee, firmly controlled by Republicans who support Bush strongly.

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Kelowna, BC, Canada: The Post story about Rumsfeld's testimony this morning seems to indicate that Defense officials followed their own process dealing with prison abuses in Iraq while ignoring warnings and input from State, and State's man in Iraq, Bremer. How much of this do you think is related to interdepartmental rivalry, perhaps left over from Bremer's replacement of Gen. Franks in 2003?

Robert G. Kaiser : It wasn't Franks Bremer replaced, but a retired general named Garner.

I don't know the answer to your question, but won't be surprised if it turns out that this was another manifestation of the really poor working relations between State and Defense on Iraq.

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California: Doesn't this point to the fact that these civilian contractors need to be able to be held accountable for their actions?

Robert G. Kaiser : we have a story in today's Post quoting Attorney General Ashcroft as saying they can and will be held accountable under the law.

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Dover, Del.: With casualties mounting, the prison-abuse scandal growing larger each day, and things seemingly spiraling out of control in Iraq, do you think we are nearing the "cut and run" point in the minds of a majority of Americans?

I think that public support for the war has lasted this long primarily because the military has done such a good of keeping the lid on the number of wounded. We know so far how many have been killed. But there is no running total of the wounded that is reported reguarly.

Anecdotal evidences suggests that total "casualties," killed or wounded, have to be at least 2,000 if not higher.

I think that information would change the equation for many Americans. What do you think?

Robert G. Kaiser : I think you're facts are wrong. We have reported and will continue to report numbers of wounded, which are higher, compared to the number of deaths, than in any previous U.S. war--a measure of modern medical technology.

Which doesn't undermine your broader point. I do think there is a real possibility that the country will turn sharply against the war in the next months. Obviously this will depend on the course of events in Iraq, but it is easy to be pessimistic about American ability to control events there or to get the outcomes the U.S. hopes for.

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Chicago, Ill.: I would be amazed if Rumsfeld resigned or got sacked, but if he were, can you name some possible candidates who might replace him? Certainly all the neocons including Wolfowitz have been tainted by all of the occupation's failures.

Robert G. Kaiser : I hope washingtonpost.com can link here to Al Kamen's famouse In The Loop column from this morning's Post, which includes a full rundown of the possible candidates for the job. Or you can use the search box at the top of our home page and search for Kamen. It's a good column.

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Piscataway, N.J.: This is clearly such a horrible thing to bring in troops to depose someone guilty of atrocities and then have at least equivalent atrocities committed by your own side. The obvious political response that is surely being discussed in GOP circles is to sacrifice someone and say it's all fixed up now. How large a sacrifice do you think is being considered?

Robert G. Kaiser : You've nicely summarized the administration's dilemma. Wouild any sacrifice of a few individuals really solve the problem it now faces?

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Arlington, Va.: I hate to quibble, but do we have any evidence yet that these prisoners were "tortured," i.e., beaten, as opposed to being humiliated? I know the PR damage has been done, but I think this is a distinction worth drawing before we go too far in this round of national recrimination.

Robert G. Kaiser : As Gen. Taguba wrote, their treatment constituted the legal equivalent of torture, whether or not there were beatings.

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Springfield, Mo.: My dad was a hostage 14 years ago when Saddam invaded Kuwait. He was treated badly, but never as badly as these Iraqi prisoners have been abused. Is there really hope that we can leave Iraq with a government of its own and can it be done quickly enough to salvage some of our reputation? (If that's possible at all)

Robert G. Kaiser : It will be very difficult to achieve those goals.

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Alexandria, Va.: Re: War is hell and will produce hellish experiences.

If these horrendous acts were perpertrated by Marines on the front lines being shelled each time, I could buy that arguement. However, these were reservest MPs, mostly, right? I believe I heard one of the Generals try to open up this loop-hole in his testimony today -- that we all have to remember what our troops are going through right now.

Do you think it's fair to make such a distinction? To allow these soldiers off the hook because "war is hell"?

Robert G. Kaiser : I didn't mean to let anyone off the hook, only to say that once war begins, we have to expect all sorts of unexpected consequences, including weird and freaky ones. War is special; it doesn't obviate the need to respect law and morality, but it makes everything harder in those realms.

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Oklahoma City, Okla.: What was done to those Iraqi prisoners was unbecoming of an American and wrong on a personal level to those particular individuals. However, publishing the photographs on television in defiance of a DOD request directly harms the American national interests in the entire world. Would it be fair for me to consider CBS News executives un-American? Cheers.

Robert G. Kaiser : CBS executives were wonderfully American in their reaction that U.S. citizens deserved to know what was being done in their name by some out-of-control yahoos in Baghdad. America is a strong society because we don't hide such things, but bring them out, debate and discuss them, confront our mistakes, etc.

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Stockholm, Sweden: From the questions and testimony that I have heard, there has been a consistent and greater concern expressed by U.S. Senators and Government officials towards those that have committed the crimes and their "due process" for a fair trial, etc., and concern about the dishonor of the U.S.A. in the eyes of the world than there has been towards those whom suffered from the crimes of the U.S. military and it's personnel.

In fact, during his testimony, Donald Rumsfeld expressed repeatedly and with greater emotion that the photos were released to the press in an "illegal" manner than he did pertaining to the crimes that were committed and which the photos themselves clearly document.

Crimes have been committed and the rest of the world is watching.

No weapons of mass destruction have been found which was, at the time the primary reason for conducting the war in Iraq) and we all know that this led the U.S.A. to redirect their justification of the war to be due to their compassion towards the people of Iraq and to liberate them.

If you are truly committed to the people of Iraq how can Iraqis themselves, or the rest of the world, begin to believe this when the American people and government demonstrate that your foremost concern is about yourselves and your processes than for the Iraqis themselves

Robert G. Kaiser : Thanks for the comment. I'm not sure you're being fair to Rumsfeld's testimony today; he acknowledged repeatedly how grave these transgressions were, and what impact they were having.

I liked what Sen. Reed of Rhode Island said: "This is disastrous." Of course it is, for the reasons you cite.

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Boston, Mass.: All the grand-standing by members of the Armed Services Committee is offensive. Some of them barely get around to asking a question -- and then the question itself is worthless (for example Byrd asking Rumsfeld whether U.S. apologies will appease critics). Many of the senators seem to regard the hearing as an opportunity for them to sound off, rather than engage in substantive questioning. I assume this is purely a result of the live TV coverage, which surely everyone in that room is very aware of. I love the fact these things are televised -- it's right that they are -- but is the coverage in fact counterproductive when it results in the session degenerating like this?

Robert G. Kaiser : Alas, this is all too typical of the modern Congress. I agree with you, and yes, television--or, more accurately, senators' response to the opportunity to be on television--is to blame.

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Arlington, Va.: If the situation was reversed and our soldiers had been subjected to this kind of treatment, do you feel the explanations heard today would be sufficient to appease the feelings of Americans?

Robert G. Kaiser : I do not.

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Chicago, Ill.: Washington Post deserves commendation from all Americans and America's friends and admirers in the world for coming out with the news on the atrocities in Iraq.

The logical conclusion of the course of events should be the resignation or sacking of Rumsfeld.
Will you work towards this objective?

Robert G. Kaiser : No, we don't work toward objectives--except of course the objective of informing our readers. That is our job.

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Dallas, Tex.: Why was the subject of civilian contractors not raised earlier?

Robert G. Kaiser : I think we in the journalistic community, Congress and others have all done a poor job exploring the implications of privatization of so many governmental functions in recent years.

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Arlington, Va.: Don't you think that My Lai and the Iraqi prisons aren't if not apples and oranges, then red delicious and granny smith apples? In Iraq we aren't talk about soldiers in the field, under battlefield stress, entering a possibly hostile village. Not trying to minimize the crimes at My Lai, but I don't think anyone in the current imbroglio can hide behind the "war is hell" excuse.

Robert G. Kaiser : Thanks for your comment. Obviously this is a judgment call. I expect to learn that the soldiers in those photos were being encouraged to do the stuff they did by superiors, who themselves were being encouraged by THEIR superiors to use creative techniques to extract information from prisoners. I don't know this, of course, but I expect to know it soon.

And again, I don't think there is any "excuse" here, as there was none in My Lai.

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washingtonpost.com: Al Kamen's In the Loop (Post, May 7)

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Against law to classify Taguba report in first place: Rumsefeld just complained that "somebody revealed a classified report..."

But here's the Federal Law on the subject...

Sec. 1.7. Classification Prohibitions and Limitations. (a) In no case shall information be classified in order to:

(1) conceal violations of law, inefficiency, or administrative error;
(2) prevent embarrassment to a person, organization, or agency;

(3) restrain competition; or

(4) prevent or delay the release of information that does not require protection in the interest of the national security.

(b) Basic scientific research information not clearly related to the national security shall not be classified.
(c) Information may be reclassified after declassification and release to the public under proper authority only in accordance with the following conditions:

(1) the reclassification action is taken under the personal authority of the agency head or deputy agency head, who determines in writing that the reclassification of the information is necessary in the interest of the national security;

Robert G. Kaiser : I'm taking it on faith that you have quoted the law fully and fairly, but it rings the bell of authenticity to my ear. Yes, there were no apparent grounds for classifying the report except the avoidance of embarrassment.

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New York, N.Y.: Mr. Kaiser,

I'd take exception to your claim that this will do us lasting damage in the rest of the world. It's not going to change any minds -- people who already resent us will still resent us. People who were already against the Iraq will still be against the Iraq war. I frankly don't see any change whatsoever.

In fact, I see the Arab world being affected least of all. How different is this from what they see on al Jazeera every day? Big deal. They'll still say they hate us, they'll still ignore the much worse abuses by their own governments, and they'll still line up in droves for visas to come here and make a better life for themselves.

Robert G. Kaiser : I wish there was even a scintilla of evidence in the reporting from around the world to support your rosy view.

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Halifax, N.S., Canada: I am having trouble understanding how it is that for two weeks the chairman of the JCS knew about these pictures and their imminent release into the public domain by CBS, yet he never warned his boss, the Secretary of Defense about these pictures and their impending release. It is the height of incredulity to expect that the impact throughout the world these photos would cause was anything other than obvious, so either Myers is incompetent, insubordinate, or the Secretary of Defense is misleading when he claims to he not known about these photos until they became public, I can find no other explanation. Can you provide any other possible explanation than the above three to account for this inexplicable lack in communications between Myers and Rumsfeld for those two weeks?

Thank you for your time.

Robert G. Kaiser : I have had similar difficulty understanding what the officials all say was the Pentagon's response to the knowledge that CBS had the photos and planned to broadcast them. You're right; the official story makes little sense.

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Pittsburgh, Pa.: As divided as this country has become with this administration, I have begun to notice with increasing frequency the number of Republicans who have started to question the administration on it's handling of Iraq. Have you noticed the same? How may this play as the election draws near?

Robert G. Kaiser : This is a good note on which to end today's discussion. Obviously, the flap over the prison photographs etc. is but a sliver of the story. A big question for the future is how all of this, and the ongoing difficulties in Iraq, will affect the election.

I note that Republicans are really nervous. Look at this quotation from Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, at a press conference yesterday. He was responding to a comment from one of the staunchest hawks in the House, Rep. John Murtha of Pa., that on present form, the war in Iraq looked unwinnable:

"This morning, in a calculated and craven political stunt, the National Democrat Party declared its surrender in the war on terror. For two years they have strutted down to the floor of the House and out of sheer, brazen politics undermined our troops, scoffed at our coalition and shown the terrorists of this world that there are some Americans who will cower under their threats.

To say this morning -- while our troops are under enemy fire, while American blood is flowing on the battlefield -- that this war is unwinnable is an insult to every man and woman who has ever fought and sacrificed under the flag of this nation.

But at least, and perhaps at most, the Washington Democrats finally have taken a position on the war. And that position -- that baseless, partisan, shocking position is that the Americans troops aren't up to the job.

This is what the heirs of Roosevelt and Kennedy have become: a collection of appeasing partisans who see our every casualty in Iraq as a potential campaign gimmick. They want to win the White House more than they want to win the war, and our enemies know it.

I'm not questioning their patriotism. Don't let them play that little game again. I'm questioning their judgment and their fitness to lead.

The Democrats need to understand that there are consequences for their actions. If Democrat leaders want to show contempt for the troops to score political points, so be it. But they shouldn't be surprised when the American people in turn show contempt for them.

There is one man in the Democrat Party right now who can save it from this embarrassing march into appeasement, and save the national security legacy of FDR and JFK. Unfortunately for Democrats of goodwill around the country, he seems to be leading this parade.

Victory in the war on terror is not only possible, it is assured. The courage of our troops makes it so. We are going to win, whether that fits the Democrats' campaign plan or not."

I confess I saved this for today's discussion because I thought it was so interesting, and in today's papers, including The Post, only a small portion of this quote was published.

Consider the rhetorical overkill DeLay has here employed. I'd offer it as evidence of how nervous Republicans now are about their prospects in November. Polls show Bush weakening, not strengthening--not vis a vis Kerry, that race remains deadlocked, but absolutely. Confidence in the president continues to decline. He is in big trouble.

Which doesn't mean he can't win. Today's good employment news will be a welcome relief in the White House. Kerry still hasn't made himself a formidable candidate. But Bush and the war are much more unpopular at this stage of an election year than any Bush supporter would want them to be.

Thanks to all for participating in another lively discsusion. I'll be back soon.

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