AMA asks Bush for Iraq prison inquiry

CHICAGO, June 14 (UPI) -- Without debate or objection, a body of the American Medical Association voted Monday to endorse an "ongoing formal review of U.S. interrogation practices of prisoners and detainees" by the Bush administration.

The AMA is the largest physicians' organization in the United States. Its House of Delegates is meeting this week and received a petition from the American College of Physicians, whose members range from primary care physicians to heart, brain and cancer specialists. The college, also known as the ACP, asked the AMA to use its considerable influence to persuade the White House to act on the prisoner abuse scandal.

The college asked the AMA House of Delegates -- its policy-making arm -- to approve a resolution asking President Bush to order a "formal review of U.S. interrogation practices in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay and other U.S.-controlled prisons."

The AMA's resolution did not, however, issue a formal directive to President Bush asking him to initiate the review.

The association has maintained a close relationship with the Bush White House, mainly because the president favors legislation that would put limits on the amount of money that could be awarded in medical malpractice suits. Federal reform of medical malpractice law is the number one legislative priority of the association.

The ACP argued, however, that taking a stand on the Abu Ghraib prison scandal in Iraq is not a political move and will not alienate the White House.

The final resolution reworked the proposal put forth by ACP, Dr. William Golden, of Little Rock, Ark., told UPI the college was pleased with the compromise. He noted that the ACP, which often is ahead of the AMA on social issues "didn't want a floor fight."

Golden also said that the AMA action sends a clear message that the nation's physicians "don't think the behavior of others (such as the ousted Iraq regime) justifies changing our behavior. If we allowed that, then the terrorists would have won."

Earlier in the day, Golden, who is chairman of the ACP's ethics committee and a delegate for the college to the AMA, told an association reference committee "this is about doing the right thing. It is not a political document. It is the obligation of physicians to speak out against torture and it is important for the AMA to take a stand and make a statement."

Dr. Cyril M. Hetsko, an internist from Madison, Wis., said he was "strongly in favor of the (ACP) resolution."

Hetsko, an AMA trustee, noted he was speaking as an individual. He recounted his own military service and what he said was the traditional U.S. policy of supporting the Geneva Convention, as well as the Nuremburg Code and several Helsinki statements on human rights.

"The AMA has longstanding policy opposing the use of torture," said Dr. Isabel Hoverman of Austin, Texas.

"We have been silent long enough," said Hoverman, one of eight ACP voting delegates to the AMA. She said if the AMA went on record about the mistreatment of prisoners, it would allow "military physicians to speak up, too."

Golden told United Press International the ACP's concern about treatment of prisoners pre-dates the recent scandal. He showed UPI a copy of letter to President Bush dated October 24, 2003. In that letter, Dr. Munsey S. Whelby, then president of the college, asked Bush to "investigate the accuracy of published allegations of mistreatment of prisoners or detainees held by the U.S. government or its allies and determine if the U.S. government may have authorized or tolerated that inhumane treatment."

In the same letter, Whelby asked the president to "reaffirm the historic U.S. policy mandating that U.S. government officials and allied governments treat prisoners and detainees humanely and, as appropriate based on further investigation, take any necessary steps to ensure that those held under U.S. supervision will always be treated humanely and will not be transferred to the custody of governments known to routinely mistreat those held under their supervision."

"We never received an answer to the October letter," Golden said.

When reports about abuse and torture at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq made headlines last month, the current ACP president, Dr. Charles K. Francis, wrote a second letter to President Bush. That letter, dated May 17, asked the president to investigate "the accuracy of all allegations" concerning abuse of prisoners and detainees.

In addition to asking President Bush for a formal review of interrogation practices, the ACP resolution also asks the AMA to "endorse President Bush's May 10, 2004 condemnation of abuses of Iraqi detainees," and it is this part of the resolution that was most palatable to several delegates that testified during the committee meeting Sunday.

Noting that "giving directives to the president was not the business of the AMA," Dr. Lee Spry, a delegate from Lincoln, Neb., said he supported the part of the resolution that endorsed Bush's May 10 statement, but urged the hearing committee to delete the references to an investigation.

Dr. Art Klawitter, a delegate from Needville, Texas, said the resolution smacked of politics.

"I don't want to sound paranoid, but I think this is too negative about the president -- especially in an election year," he said.

On the other hand, Gen. George Taylor, surgeon general of the U.S. Air Force, said many investigations already were underway, so he suggested the resolution be amended to reflect that "the AMA support the process already underway."

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Peggy Peck covers health issues for UPI Science News. E-mail sciencemail@upi.com