Senate Proceeding on May 20th, 2009 :: 3:59:55 to 4:03:55
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3:59:47 to 4:00:07( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: mr. graham: okay. never mind. got off script.

3:59:55 to 4:03:55( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Lindsey Graham

4:00:08 to 4:00:28( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: the presiding officer: the senator from south carolina. mr. graham: i'd like to talk about the amendment if i may. the esiding officer: the senator is recognized. mr. graham: while we talk to our colleagues about bringing it up. number one, i wanted to thank senator lieberman for his leadership on this issue. we have been working together to deal with what i think is a very, very big deal for the

4:00:29 to 4:00:50( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: american people and t overall war effort. as many of showing detainee abuse in the past and the president of the united states has decided to stand up for the proposition

4:00:51 to 4:01:13( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: that releasing these photographs would jeopardize the safety of our men and women serving overseas and americans abroad and he has indicated the photo do not add anything to past debate about detainee abuse. they are more of the same. no new person is implemented.

4:01:14 to 4:01:35( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: the photos were taken by our own folks detailing abu and a lot of that has been dealt with already and prosecuted. the president, i think, rightfully, has determined after consulting commanders if we release these photos it would not help us understand any more about

4:01:36 to 4:01:56( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: detainee problems in the past that we already know but it would be tremendous benefit to the enemy. the enemy has used these photos in the past to generate resentment against our troops. a propaganda tool has been used by the me enemy -- it's been a propaganda tool. and the president is rightly

4:01:57 to 4:02:18( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: concerned that to release more photos that add nothing to the overall knowledge base of what we have regarding detai is simply going to put american lives in jeopardy. and i applaud the president. he stood up for the troops and our men and women who are serving overseas, our civilian civil servants serving overseas. and there's a lot of mysteries in this world but there is no mystery that what would happen

4:02:19 to 4:02:39( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: if we released the photos. i can tell you with -- beyond a shadow of a doubt that if these photos get into the public domain, they're going to inflame populations where our troops are serving, it's going to increase violent attacks against our troops. that's what happened last time. it's surely going to happen this time. so what we have done, senator lieberman and myself, we've come

4:02:40 to 4:03:01( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: up with an amendment that addresses the lawsuit before the the -- before our judicial system about the photos. this amendment says that any detainee photos that are certified by the secretary of defense, in consultation with others, that would result in

4:03:02 to 4:03:24( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: harm to -- to our men and women serving overseas, jeopardize the war effort, put our troops in harm, that with presidential approval, that tse photos cannot be released for a five-year period of time. that, to me, is a reasonable compromise. it basic construct but it does provide congressional support to the president's decision that we

4:03:25 to 4:03:46( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: should not release these photos. and senator lieberman and myself have been to the theatre of operations many times. we have met with al qaeda operatives who he switched sides basically and they've told us firsthand that prison camps in iraq, how the abu ghraib photos and the abuse i was used by our

4:03:47 to 4:03:55( Edit History Discussion )

Lindsey Graham: new members to al qaeda and to generate resentment against our men and women serving abroad. so i want to applaud the president. this legislation i think will