Obama Opposes Releasing Photos of U.S. Detainee Abuse

[Valerie]

We were wondering this morning whether Robert Gibbs' noncommittal responses yesterday signaled that President Obama was getting cold feet about allowing the release of the latest round of detainee-abuse photos.

Sure enough, it did:

WASHINGTON - Defense and military officials tell NBC News that President Obama will seek to delay the release of hundreds of photos which reportedly depict the abuse of prisoners by U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is expected to announce Obama's decision.

The Pentagon has said it will release the pictures this month.

Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq met with Obama at the White House Tuesday to ask the administration not to release the photos. Defense officials say Odierno is "vehemently opposed" to the release because he fears it could create a widespread "backlash" against military forces in both war zones.

According to one official, "It would put a bullseye on the backs of our forces."

According to military officials many of the photos are similar to the infamous prisoner abuse photos out of Abu Ghraib prison, but some of these photos reportedly include mug shots of prisoners who appear to have been badly beaten during their capture or interrogation.

The photos were gathered in the course of dozens of military investigations of prisoner abuse between 2001 and 2006.

At this point, it looks like Obama plans to appeal the case to the Supreme Court, and if they lose there (as they have at all previous levels), they won't have any choice about releasing them.

In the meantime, they'll now be using up their political capital to defend Dick Cheney and his merry band of torturers. Now, that's a lovely prospect, isn't it? I'm sure Cheney will repay him generously for the effort.

It would be nice, though, if someone took the time to point out once again that the very fears about Arab reaction to these photos, and the consequences for our soldiers in the field -- not to mention the radicalizing effect it has, effectively creating future terrorists -- are exactly the main reason why torture doesn't, can't, and never will keep us safe. And why Cheney and Co. utterly failed to actually keep Americans safe, not just during their tenure, but for the foreseeable future.

Breaking: Obama to delay release of detainee-abuse photos | Crooks and Liars

 

[DiveCon]

Right. The higher ups were really concerned about what was torture and about keeping people in line. By the way, did you know that according to the Bybee memo, much of what happened at Abu Ghraib (and perhaps all of it) wasn't torture? So if the higher ups didn't sanction such abuse, why exactly did they define torture to exclude such brutalities like needles under the fingernails, or extremely physical pain?

really?
they couldnt twist gitmo into something it isn't
you assholes already do that
so either you are a fucking moron or a complete liar

Umm, what the fuck? Try to be a little bit nonsensical in the future. I'm going to try to respond to each point you made, but if I misunderstand you, since you can't seem to write clearly, don't blame me.

"Really?". Yes, dipshit. Really. I wouldn't have said it if it wasn't really. Want me to copy and paste it again for your elucidation?

"They couldn't twist gitmo into something it isn't". Actually, yes they can. And they did. Whatever weird claims you want to believe about the left lying about GITMO, AQ said GITMO was much, much worse than it was. It was merely torture and inhumane, but it wasn't torture on the same scale as Nazism or something.

"You assholes are already do that". Umm, no. Provide evidence, or shut the fuck up.

"so either you are a fucking moron or a complete liar" Right. I'm a fucking moron of a complete liar because of the really intelligent argument where you said "really". Or maybe it was that brilliant statement where you referenced "you assholes". Naah, it was all the sentences as a whole that combined seem to spew out of your mouth with all the grace and poetic beauty of a child with diarrhea.

i cant help it you are too much of a fucking moron to read

 

[Valerie]

The Pentagon conducted 200 investigations into alleged abuse connected with the photos in question. The administration did not provide an immediate accounting of how they turned out.

"This is not a situation in which the Pentagon has concealed or sought to justify inappropriate action," Obama said of the photos. "In fact, the most direct consequence of releasing them, I believe, would be to further inflame anti-American opinion and to put our troops in greater danger."

In reversal, Obama seeks to block abuse photos - White House- msnbc.com

Obama said later, "I want to emphasize that these photos that were requested in this case are not particularly sensational, especially when compared to the painful images that we remember from Abu Ghraib."
Still, he said he had made it newly clear: "Any abuse of detainees is unacceptable. It is against our values. It endangers our security. It will not be tolerated."

 

[Nik]

really?
they couldnt twist gitmo into something it isn't
you assholes already do that
so either you are a fucking moron or a complete liar

Umm, what the fuck? Try to be a little bit nonsensical in the future. I'm going to try to respond to each point you made, but if I misunderstand you, since you can't seem to write clearly, don't blame me.

"Really?". Yes, dipshit. Really. I wouldn't have said it if it wasn't really. Want me to copy and paste it again for your elucidation?

"They couldn't twist gitmo into something it isn't". Actually, yes they can. And they did. Whatever weird claims you want to believe about the left lying about GITMO, AQ said GITMO was much, much worse than it was. It was merely torture and inhumane, but it wasn't torture on the same scale as Nazism or something.

"You assholes are already do that". Umm, no. Provide evidence, or shut the fuck up.

"so either you are a fucking moron or a complete liar" Right. I'm a fucking moron of a complete liar because of the really intelligent argument where you said "really". Or maybe it was that brilliant statement where you referenced "you assholes". Naah, it was all the sentences as a whole that combined seem to spew out of your mouth with all the grace and poetic beauty of a child with diarrhea.

i cant help it you are too much of a fucking moron to read

You haven't said anything that was coherent enough to really get sense out of. Its not my fault if you are illiterate and can't seem to write properly.

 

[DiveCon]

Umm, what the fuck? Try to be a little bit nonsensical in the future. I'm going to try to respond to each point you made, but if I misunderstand you, since you can't seem to write clearly, don't blame me.

"Really?". Yes, dipshit. Really. I wouldn't have said it if it wasn't really. Want me to copy and paste it again for your elucidation?

"They couldn't twist gitmo into something it isn't". Actually, yes they can. And they did. Whatever weird claims you want to believe about the left lying about GITMO, AQ said GITMO was much, much worse than it was. It was merely torture and inhumane, but it wasn't torture on the same scale as Nazism or something.

"You assholes are already do that". Umm, no. Provide evidence, or shut the fuck up.

"so either you are a fucking moron or a complete liar" Right. I'm a fucking moron of a complete liar because of the really intelligent argument where you said "really". Or maybe it was that brilliant statement where you referenced "you assholes". Naah, it was all the sentences as a whole that combined seem to spew out of your mouth with all the grace and poetic beauty of a child with diarrhea.

i cant help it you are too much of a fucking moron to read

You haven't said anything that was coherent enough to really get sense out of. Its not my fault if you are illiterate and can't seem to write properly.

fuck off asswipe
can you understand that?

 

[Ravi]

So basically, torture and mistreatment doesn't keep us safe an it doesn't keep the troops safe.

Morons.

i don't understand how torture and mistreatment doesn't keep us safe

Well if it did, then it wouldn't matter if we released the photos. But no...photos of abuse are evil and terrible and will make everyone hate us...but torturing people with state sanctioned approval? Pssh, that just won't have an effect.

Exactly...so releasing the photos should strike fear in the hearts of the evildoers.

It must be hard getting through the day as a right wing nut.

 

[DiveCon]

i don't understand how torture and mistreatment doesn't keep us safe

Well if it did, then it wouldn't matter if we released the photos. But no...photos of abuse are evil and terrible and will make everyone hate us...but torturing people with state sanctioned approval? Pssh, that just won't have an effect.

Exactly...so releasing the photos should strike fear in the hearts of the evildoers.

It must be hard getting through the day as a right wing nut.

actually, i would think it would be hard for a leftwing moonbat like you

 

[Nik]

i cant help it you are too much of a fucking moron to read

You haven't said anything that was coherent enough to really get sense out of. Its not my fault if you are illiterate and can't seem to write properly.

fuck off asswipe
can you understand that?

Awww, poor baby. Did I hurt your widdle feelings?

 

[DiveCon]

You haven't said anything that was coherent enough to really get sense out of. Its not my fault if you are illiterate and can't seem to write properly.

fuck off asswipe
can you understand that?

Awww, poor baby. Did I hurt your widdle feelings?

nope, you dont have the capacity to
but, did you understand that?
you didnt answer the question

 

[Nik]

fuck off asswipe
can you understand that?

Awww, poor baby. Did I hurt your widdle feelings?

nope, you dont have the capacity to
but, did you understand that?
you didnt answer the question

I don't take orders from people who type nonsensical responses full of angry, bitter comments.

If you want to torture people, at least spend the time to get a good argument for fucks sake.

 

[DiveCon]

Awww, poor baby. Did I hurt your widdle feelings?

nope, you dont have the capacity to
but, did you understand that?
you didnt answer the question

I don't take orders from people who type nonsensical responses full of angry, bitter comments.

If you want to torture people, at least spend the time to get a good argument for fucks sake.

i dont want to torture people
and no one has been
thats the difference fuckwad

 

[Nik]

nope, you dont have the capacity to
but, did you understand that?
you didnt answer the question

I don't take orders from people who type nonsensical responses full of angry, bitter comments.

If you want to torture people, at least spend the time to get a good argument for fucks sake.

i dont want to torture people
and no one has been
thats the difference fuckwad

Haha sure. Just cause some of them died from the abuse doesn't mean its torture.

 

[DiveCon]

I don't take orders from people who type nonsensical responses full of angry, bitter comments.

If you want to torture people, at least spend the time to get a good argument for fucks sake.

i dont want to torture people
and no one has been
thats the difference fuckwad

Haha sure. Just cause some of them died from the abuse doesn't mean its torture.

and the ones that died were not because of the interogations, but people that ABUSED them

there is a difference

 

[Nik]

i dont want to torture people
and no one has been
thats the difference fuckwad

Haha sure. Just cause some of them died from the abuse doesn't mean its torture.

and the ones that died were not because of the interogations, but people that ABUSED them

there is a difference

Really? So can you tell me who exactly abuse Dilawar and Habibullah, and who was prosecuted for it? Further, can you provide me with the evidence that they died because they were abused outside the scope of what was allowed in interrogations?

 

[DiveCon]

Haha sure. Just cause some of them died from the abuse doesn't mean its torture.

and the ones that died were not because of the interogations, but people that ABUSED them

there is a difference

Really? So can you tell me who exactly abuse Dilawar and Habibullah, and who was prosecuted for it? Further, can you provide me with the evidence that they died because they were abused outside the scope of what was allowed in interrogations?

and can you prove it wasnt?
no
and i'm not going to waste my time doing research for an asshole like YOU

 

[Yurt]

I don't take orders from people who type nonsensical responses full of angry, bitter comments.

If you want to torture people, at least spend the time to get a good argument for fucks sake.

i dont want to torture people
and no one has been
thats the difference fuckwad

Haha sure. Just cause some of them died from the abuse doesn't mean its torture.

so everytime someone beats someone up and they die from the wounds it was torture......of course not....only a moron would think so

 

[Annie]

Hate to say it but I don't trust Obama's words for he says one thing but has done another. My bet is these pictures leaks out.

There's more evidence that he's trying to get the courts to put them out. If he really didn't want them out, i.e., to protect the troops; he'd sign an executive order:

Because His Lips Are Moving . . . - Andy McCarthy - The Corner on National Review Online

....Why all the legerdemain? Because, as I said in the lead argument made in Tuesday's column (and on which I will elaborate in a new article later today): Obama is using this litigation as a smokescreen. He's now getting plaudits for reversing himself and his Justice Department (which, in contrast to the Bush Justice Department, didn't want to fight this case at all — just wanted to release the photos). But he is still trying to get away with voting present — which is to say, he is hiding behind the judges.

It is in Obama's power, right this minute, to end this debacle by issuing an executive order suppressing disclosure of the photos due to national security and foreign policy concerns. As I've noted, there's no need to get into a Bush-era debate over the limits of executive power here. In the Freedom of Information Act, indeed, in FOIA's very first exemption, Congress expressly vests him with that authority. See Title 5, U.S. Code, Section 552(b)(1)(A) (FOIA disclosure mandate “does not apply to matters that are …specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy and … are in fact properly classified pursuant to such Executive order”).

Besides being simple, issuing such an order would be a strong position and the screamingly obvious right thing to do. But it would also be a fully accountable thing to do, and that's why President Obama is avoiding it. He realizes — especially after he surrendered details of our interrogation methods to the enemy — that he can't afford to undermine the war effort again so quickly and so blatanly; but his heart is with the Left on this — that's why he agreed to the release of the photos in the first place and why he is trying to prevent mutiny within his base. So here's the game: Obama tells those of us who care about national security that he is taking measures to protect the troops and the American people, but he also tells the Left that he hasn't made any final decisions about the photos and that the question is really for the courts to decide. That's why he carefully couched yesterday's reversal as a "delay" in the release of the photos. We're happy as long as the photos stay under wraps, but the wink to the Left is his signal that if, after further review, the courts continue to hold that disclosure is required under the FOIA section the government has invoked — which is not the executive order provision but a section relating to the withholding of records "compiled for law enforcement purposes"— he may just shrug his shoulders and release the photos....

 

[Terry]

Hate to say it but I don't trust Obama's words for he says one thing but has done another. My bet is these pictures leaks out.

There's more evidence that he's trying to get the courts to put them out. If he really didn't want them out, i.e., to protect the troops; he'd sign an executive order:

Because His Lips Are Moving . . . - Andy McCarthy - The Corner on National Review Online

....Why all the legerdemain? Because, as I said in the lead argument made in Tuesday's column (and on which I will elaborate in a new article later today): Obama is using this litigation as a smokescreen. He's now getting plaudits for reversing himself and his Justice Department (which, in contrast to the Bush Justice Department, didn't want to fight this case at all — just wanted to release the photos). But he is still trying to get away with voting present — which is to say, he is hiding behind the judges.

It is in Obama's power, right this minute, to end this debacle by issuing an executive order suppressing disclosure of the photos due to national security and foreign policy concerns. As I've noted, there's no need to get into a Bush-era debate over the limits of executive power here. In the Freedom of Information Act, indeed, in FOIA's very first exemption, Congress expressly vests him with that authority. See Title 5, U.S. Code, Section 552(b)(1)(A) (FOIA disclosure mandate “does not apply to matters that are …specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy and … are in fact properly classified pursuant to such Executive order”).

Besides being simple, issuing such an order would be a strong position and the screamingly obvious right thing to do. But it would also be a fully accountable thing to do, and that's why President Obama is avoiding it. He realizes — especially after he surrendered details of our interrogation methods to the enemy — that he can't afford to undermine the war effort again so quickly and so blatanly; but his heart is with the Left on this — that's why he agreed to the release of the photos in the first place and why he is trying to prevent mutiny within his base. So here's the game: Obama tells those of us who care about national security that he is taking measures to protect the troops and the American people, but he also tells the Left that he hasn't made any final decisions about the photos and that the question is really for the courts to decide. That's why he carefully couched yesterday's reversal as a "delay" in the release of the photos. We're happy as long as the photos stay under wraps, but the wink to the Left is his signal that if, after further review, the courts continue to hold that disclosure is required under the FOIA section the government has invoked — which is not the executive order provision but a section relating to the withholding of records "compiled for law enforcement purposes"— he may just shrug his shoulders and release the photos....

It figures he (obama) is such a LIAR!

 

[PubliusInfinitum]

Hate to say it but I don't trust Obama's words for he says one thing but has done another. My bet is these pictures leaks out.

There's more evidence that he's trying to get the courts to put them out. If he really didn't want them out, i.e., to protect the troops; he'd sign an executive order:

Because His Lips Are Moving . . . - Andy McCarthy - The Corner on National Review Online

....Why all the legerdemain? Because, as I said in the lead argument made in Tuesday's column (and on which I will elaborate in a new article later today): Obama is using this litigation as a smokescreen. He's now getting plaudits for reversing himself and his Justice Department (which, in contrast to the Bush Justice Department, didn't want to fight this case at all — just wanted to release the photos). But he is still trying to get away with voting present — which is to say, he is hiding behind the judges.

It is in Obama's power, right this minute, to end this debacle by issuing an executive order suppressing disclosure of the photos due to national security and foreign policy concerns. As I've noted, there's no need to get into a Bush-era debate over the limits of executive power here. In the Freedom of Information Act, indeed, in FOIA's very first exemption, Congress expressly vests him with that authority. See Title 5, U.S. Code, Section 552(b)(1)(A) (FOIA disclosure mandate “does not apply to matters that are …specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy and … are in fact properly classified pursuant to such Executive order”).

Besides being simple, issuing such an order would be a strong position and the screamingly obvious right thing to do. But it would also be a fully accountable thing to do, and that's why President Obama is avoiding it. He realizes — especially after he surrendered details of our interrogation methods to the enemy — that he can't afford to undermine the war effort again so quickly and so blatanly; but his heart is with the Left on this — that's why he agreed to the release of the photos in the first place and why he is trying to prevent mutiny within his base. So here's the game: Obama tells those of us who care about national security that he is taking measures to protect the troops and the American people, but he also tells the Left that he hasn't made any final decisions about the photos and that the question is really for the courts to decide. That's why he carefully couched yesterday's reversal as a "delay" in the release of the photos. We're happy as long as the photos stay under wraps, but the wink to the Left is his signal that if, after further review, the courts continue to hold that disclosure is required under the FOIA section the government has invoked — which is not the executive order provision but a section relating to the withholding of records "compiled for law enforcement purposes"— he may just shrug his shoulders and release the photos....

Brilliant...

 

[Nik]

i dont want to torture people
and no one has been
thats the difference fuckwad

Haha sure. Just cause some of them died from the abuse doesn't mean its torture.

so everytime someone beats someone up and they die from the wounds it was torture......of course not....only a moron would think so

Then do tell me what is torture Yurt. Define it for me, since you seem to want to keep changing the goalposts.