Obama Opposes Releasing Photos of U.S. Detainee Abuse

[Yurt]

i think Obama made the right call on this one, even though he had made a bad call to even think about releasing them
clearly either he finally saw them and knew it would be better not to release them, or someone close to him did

hopefully he is maturing and is finally taking responsibility for being the CIC...and realizes that hey, what really is the purpose of this, it is going to get our troops killed more than likely and really, releasing them is just political meadowmuffins...

Nah, either some poll they looked at said his original decision was "bad" OR he found out something that would slap him in the face later down the road. He didn't do it for the "troops". If that were true the democrats wouldn't have been undermining them for the last several years.

as i said....he is now the CIC and perhaps he sees things different, not a dem senator or congressman, but the commander in charge of the finest military in the world....and he might just view the troops a little different now being the CIC.

 

[Yurt]

So you think he made that up. Why do you think he decided against it?

I don't buy the argument that it puts our soldiers in any more peril than they're already in just by being there. I think he decided against it because he is foolishly trying to curry favor with political adversaries... and not only won't that work, but it's a decidedly ***** move.

No way. He could have made the apparently politically expedient move yet he did the right thing instead. Far from "*****".

The new case is a contrast to Obama's decision last month to release documents that documents that detailed brutal interrogation techniques used by the CIA against terror suspects. Those also came out in response to an ACLU lawsuit.

Why do you assume the terrorists can distinguish whatever is depicted in those photographs of isolated incidents from the consistent humanitarian sentiment of Americans? The policies have been publicly denounced and discontinued. The facts and the memos have already been released.

Do we really need to draw a picture right now too? Why?

A military group said it was relieved Obama would fight the photos' release, adding that soldiers' lives could otherwise be put at risk. Brian Wise, executive Director of Military Families United, said the pictures "will only serve as propaganda to our enemies who will use the images as a recruitment tool to enlist terrorists."

"The president has said that he wants to improve the image of America throughout the world," Wise said in a statement. "This is not the way to accomplish that. These photos represent isolated incidents where the offending servicemen and women have already been prosecuted. There is no good that can come from releasing these photos."

I agree with this. It is not in our best interest to politicize our national security.

you only quoted the ACLU...so the aclu now runs public opinion and mandates what is political expediant?

 

[Valerie]

I don't buy the argument that it puts our soldiers in any more peril than they're already in just by being there. I think he decided against it because he is foolishly trying to curry favor with political adversaries... and not only won't that work, but it's a decidedly ***** move.

No way. He could have made the apparently politically expedient move yet he did the right thing instead. Far from "*****".


Why do you assume the terrorists can distinguish whatever is depicted in those photographs of isolated incidents from the consistent humanitarian sentiment of Americans? The policies have been publicly denounced and discontinued. The facts and the memos have already been released.

Do we really need to draw a picture right now too? Why?

A military group said it was relieved Obama would fight the photos' release, adding that soldiers' lives could otherwise be put at risk. Brian Wise, executive Director of Military Families United, said the pictures "will only serve as propaganda to our enemies who will use the images as a recruitment tool to enlist terrorists."

"The president has said that he wants to improve the image of America throughout the world," Wise said in a statement. "This is not the way to accomplish that. These photos represent isolated incidents where the offending servicemen and women have already been prosecuted. There is no good that can come from releasing these photos."

I agree with this. It is not in our best interest to politicize our national security.

you only quoted the ACLU...so the aclu now runs public opinion and mandates what is political expediant?

I quoted the article in the OP.

 

[Yurt]

Val...

what is your point? that you did not quote the ACLU to support your view that he went against the popular opinion and that underlined quote just happened to be there?????

sometimes i get confused with the multi quote thing on this board

 

[Toro]

Why would they release the photos? All it would do is inflame opinion and possibly put Americans in danger overseas.

 

[Valerie]

Val...

what is your point? that you did not quote the ACLU to support your view that he went against the popular opinion and that underlined quote just happened to be there?????

sometimes i get confused with the multi quote thing on this board

Sorry for the confusion. By showing the two ACLU quotes, my point was to Manifold who agrees with the ACLU's assertion that we need to draw a picture too...My point is that we do not and further that Obama's decision does not make him a "*****" at all.

>>>

So you think he made that up. Why do you think he decided against it?

I don't buy the argument that it puts our soldiers in any more peril than they're already in just by being there. I think he decided against it because he is foolishly trying to curry favor with political adversaries... and not only won't that work, but it's a decidedly ***** move.

No way. He could have made the apparently politically expedient move yet he did the right thing instead. Far from "*****".

ACLU attorney Amrit Singh, who argued and won the case in front of the 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals in New York. "It is essential that these photographs be released so that the public can examine for itself the full scale and scope of prisoner abuse that was conducted in its name."

The new case is a contrast to Obama's decision last month to release documents that detailed brutal interrogation techniques used by the CIA against terror suspects. Those also came out in response to an ACLU lawsuit.

Why do you assume the terrorists can distinguish whatever is depicted in those photographs of isolated incidents from the consistent humanitarian sentiment of Americans? The policies have been publicly denounced and discontinued. The facts and the memos have already been released.

Do we really need to draw a picture right now too? Why?

A military group said it was relieved Obama would fight the photos' release, adding that soldiers' lives could otherwise be put at risk. Brian Wise, executive Director of Military Families United, said the pictures "will only serve as propaganda to our enemies who will use the images as a recruitment tool to enlist terrorists."

"The president has said that he wants to improve the image of America throughout the world," Wise said in a statement. "This is not the way to accomplish that. These photos represent isolated incidents where the offending servicemen and women have already been prosecuted. There is no good that can come from releasing these photos."

I agree with this. It is not in our best interest to politicize our national security.

 

[Yurt]

got it

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Ain't it great. He still has to cover up for the misdeeds and crimes under the Bush regime.

If he does nothing to follow up on any investigation into possible warcrimes and civil crimes committed by members of the Cheney/Bush fuckup, he assumes part of the guilt and blame for them.

Torture is a war crime. We have signed laws against torture. Waterboarding has been torture since the Catholics used it in the Spanish inquisition.

Love the way the lying right now states it isn't torture even though we executed our enemies for doing it to US.

Total hypocrits and moral cowards.

You are stupid as shit. The pictures are all from cases BEFORE 2005. And they have all been dealt with. Nothing to hide and no torture by the Government at all. It was abuse BY individuals all punished for their misdeeds.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Ain't it great. He still has to cover up for the misdeeds and crimes under the Bush regime.

If he does nothing to follow up on any investigation into possible warcrimes and civil crimes committed by members of the Cheney/Bush fuckup, he assumes part of the guilt and blame for them.

Torture is a war crime. We have signed laws against torture. Waterboarding has been torture since the Catholics used it in the Spanish inquisition.

Love the way the lying right now states it isn't torture even though we executed our enemies for doing it to US.

Total hypocrits and moral cowards.

They're still on the record, aren't they? What good could ever come from having them become fodder in the court of public opinion right now while our troops our still deployed over there? The policy has stopped and the issue could be reviewed later on.

IMO NOTHING good would come of releasing those photos right now.

None of the pictures involve allowed torture, they are from cases of KNOWN abuse and all involved have already been punished. Ohh and the pictures are from before 2005.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Not releasing the photos so as not to further inflame the passions of the people in the countries we occupy is clearly the right decision.

Of course Obama haters call it a "*****" decision. If he had released them Obama haters would have castigted him for lack of consern for the troops.

Just because the pictures have not been released for public consumption does not mean they will not be used to try and convict Bush, Cheney and the rest of the torture gang.

Dip shit, the people complaining are his formwer supporters.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

I beleive the photo release was part of a freedom of information request by the ACLU. These Photos will be used for prosecutorial purposes but not to feed the medias curiosity...

Already done, read the article.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Obama did not say he was going to destroy the photos. Just not releasing them for public consumtion. They will still be evidence of law breaking.

Remember when Repubs were all about the ruke of law? Let's see, when was that? Oh yeah, when Bill Clinton was caught lying about whom he'd had sex with. "Why we had to impeach the President, otherwise it would destroy the rule of law".

Now Repubs torture their own principles as well as prisoners.

Dumb ass READ the story, the pictures are from previous cases and all involved were already PUNISHED. But hey you keep ignoring facts.

 

[DiveCon]

I beleive the photo release was part of a freedom of information request by the ACLU. These Photos will be used for prosecutorial purposes but not to feed the medias curiosity...

Already done, read the article.

Obamabots on parade

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Fpr those unable to read.

The official emphasized that the president continues to believe that the actions depicted in the photos should not be excused and fully supports the investigations, prison sentences, discharges and other punitive measures that have resulted from them. But that is not likely to quiet Obama's critics.

From the original article cited here. This article is a little different from the one I earlier read that pointed out all the pictures are from cases prior to 2005 and all had been punished for the misdeeds depicted in the pictures.


Obama seeks to block release of abuse photos | TPM News Pages

 

[RetiredGySgt]

A better story on this.

Obama seeks to block release of abuse photos

The White House had said last month it would not oppose the release of dozens of photos from military investigations of alleged misconduct.

So once again the photos are from CLOSED CASES.

 

[Yurt]

the silence of the dems

speaks volumes

 

[DiveCon]

the silence of the dems

speaks volumes

Obama does the right thing and they arent happy
LOL

 

[oreo]

Gol dangit---I was looking forward to those MILLIONS of middle-eastern extremists marching in the streets--screaming "death to the Evil satan"--meaning us.

Too bad that Obama didn't listen 3 weeks ago to 4 former CIA chiefs, including the current one. that told him not to release the top--secret--classfied documents over the enhanced interrogation technics.

You can bet your underware that we have Al Queda & other terrorist organization "practicing new interrogation skills" based on the information that this administration so gleefully gave to them via the internet.

FUNNY BUT WHERE ARE THE LEFTIES ON THIS? If President Bush would have made the exact same decision they would be SCREAMING foul right now? It would be all over the main-stream media--suggesting that Bush/Cheney were "hiding" something--the MSN-PMS station would be reshowing Abu Graide pictures--24/7---it would be headline news for the next two months if Bush would have made the exact same decision.

 

[Shadow]

Nah, either some poll they looked at said his original decision was "bad" OR he found out something that would slap him in the face later down the road. He didn't do it for the "troops". If that were true the democrats wouldn't have been undermining them for the last several years.

Yes, because even what you admit was the right decision couldn't possibly be done for the right reasons, because that would force you to admit that maybe Obama isn't the antichrist come to rule us for seven years.

Can you people please get a grip?

Sure. Which would be why he didn't care about the impact on the troops when he originally decided to declassify them in the first place. Now all of a sudden I'm supposed to believe he has honorable intentions? Not hardly.

 

[Shadow]

hopefully he is maturing and is finally taking responsibility for being the CIC...and realizes that hey, what really is the purpose of this, it is going to get our troops killed more than likely and really, releasing them is just political meadowmuffins...

Nah, either some poll they looked at said his original decision was "bad" OR he found out something that would slap him in the face later down the road. He didn't do it for the "troops". If that were true the democrats wouldn't have been undermining them for the last several years.

as i said....he is now the CIC and perhaps he sees things different, not a dem senator or congressman, but the commander in charge of the finest military in the world....and he might just view the troops a little different now being the CIC.

He didn't a few weeks ago when he started the ball rolling on this crap....so I doubt it.