To:	President George W. Bush
From:	Mr. Matthew Belmonte <belmonte@mit.edu>
Subject:	Write a Differing Opinion on National Security (Iraq)

Dear President Bush:

The recent revelations of severe abuse suffered by Iraqi prisoners at
the hands of American and British troops should have been a
predictable consequence of the Department of Defense's lax attitude
towards prisoners' rights, coupled with the use of reserve troops who
have little training in the humane administration of prisons. This
de facto American policy towards Iraqi prisoners is at odds with the
Americans' professed values of freedom and self-determination, and
the resulting perceptions of hypocrisy will further inflame Iraqis
and other Arabs against the United States.

The American apology for these abuses will be an empty one indeed if
it is not accompanied by concrete and significant reforms in the
military's administration of prisons. Secretary Rumseld knew for
some time about the abuses, yet failed to act decisively. For that
failure, he should resign. Abu Ghraib, a place where Iraqis were
tortured by Saddam Hussein's tyrannical government, should be razed,
and the current inmates transferred to a prison that does not carry
the same psychological associations for the Iraqi people.

I urge you to ensure that all prisoners in American military custody,
including those prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, immediately be granted
hearings under Article V of the Geneva Conventions to determine their
status. Your administration should also make clear that all
prisoners, regardless of whether they are determined to be prisoners
of war, "unlawful combatants," or some other status, are covered by
either the Third or Fourth Geneva Convention, as stated by Secretary
Rumsfeld before the Senate Armed Services Committee. This policy
should be made universal, as provided by Army regulations.

Sincerely,
Matthew Belmonte
[address]