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Headlines : Human RightsJudge: Release of Abu Ghraib Pictures Too Dangerous
In the latest chapter in the ongoing struggle to get the remaining photos and videos of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib released to the public, a NY judge has indicated he is inclined to side with the Pentagon’s arguments against releasing them. Although the case has not yet ben settled, I have a sinking feeling these pictures and videos will not see the light of day for a long time.
[Posted By Gregoire]Republished from USA Today
NEW YORK (AP) — A judge said Tuesday he was hesitant to release pictures and videotapes of detainee abuse at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison while top government officials insisted that deaths could result.
U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein commented as he listened to Manhattan’s top government lawyer and an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, which was seeking release of the pictures.
The judge questioned whether he could disregard arguments by Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who has warned that releasing the photos would aid al-Qaeda recruitment, weaken the Afghan and Iraqi governments and incite riots against U.S. troops.
“How can I ignore the expert opinion of General Myers, who is concerned with the safety of his troops?” the judge asked. “I can’t substitute my opinion for the opinion of General Myers.”
He said troops in Iraq “face danger every day and don’t deserve to have that danger enlarged.”
The ACLU has sought the release of 87 photographs and four videotapes taken at the prison. The request was part of a 2003 lawsuit demanding information on the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody and the transfer of prisoners to countries known to use torture. The ACLU contends…
Posted by Gregoire
I was born in NYC, raised in Palo Alto CA, attended university at UC Santa Cruz. I spent the better part of a decade traveling in Asia and working in restaurants before entering graduate school in Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at UVA in Charlottesville VA,...
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I guess the photos would make the US gov’t look bad. The Republicans may even lose the next election if they’re released. They do have a point.
the fact that they are so bad we cant see’em says it all…!!!!
To be fair, I wouldn’t blame the judge for that descsion.
However it definitely shows a disgusting double standard.
Remember after 9/11 when that Israeli recorded video of Palestinians cheering started apearing throught out the American and Western media? No one showed the slightest concern on how much harm that was indirectly going to cause for the Palestinian people.
“To be fair, I wouldn’t blame the judge for that descsion.”
Why?
A jewish guy I know threatened with the release of these photos. This is just another reason to release whatever terrorist attack they have up their sleeves and then blame it on “islamic terrorism” then go invade another arab country.
Should anyone in the Bush administration be tried under international law for crimes committed, would this judge be responsible for a coverup? How liable is he?
“be tried under international law for crimes committed”
The US isn’t governed by international law…
The US isn’t governed by international law
true, they’ve made it explicitly clear that even though they’ve ratified many treaties and agreements and in fact made them a part of U.S. law, they don’t actually have to abide by these laws or international customs…. therefore, by definition, the U.S. is truly a rogue state.
Honestly these pictures probably are extremely dangerous to the US and it’s military personel around the world… of course what does that say about the fucking pictures… god what a sick fucked up place the US has become.
Just how can this judge be so sure this really is a “false” picture of the country? I think the point is, it is becoming an incresingly true picture and that is what is so deeply disturbing about the images.