ACLU: Iraq Prison Photos to Be Released (Abu Ghraib)

[Barrett808]

ACLU: Iraq Prison Photos to Be Released
By LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - The federal government has agreed to release disputed pictures showing American soldiers tormenting Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison, the American Civil Liberties Union said Tuesday.

Erica Pelletreau, a spokeswoman for the ACLU, said the pictures would be released within a week if a federal judge approves the deal.

Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein had ordered the release of the pictures from the infamous Baghdad prison over complaints by government lawyers, who complained that doing so would incite violence against U.S. troops in Iraq and provoke terrorists.

The Department of Defense had appealed that order but planned to drop the appeal, the ACLU said.

Heather Tasker, a spokeswoman for government lawyers handling the case, had no immediate comment.

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060328/ap_on_re_us/abu_ghraib_photos

[Rex]

1. Finally, after 6 months they release these pics.

They won't be pretty, people better prepare now for the horror.

[saigon68]

30. Yes --- Support the troops**** GRAPHIC IMAGE OF TROOP MISCONDUCT**********

"They are only Frat Pranks", R. Cheney (stand in president for an ape man)

[Roland99]

31. It's been two years. Abu Ghraib story broke in April 2004

and Hersh was the one behind making this public.


He's seen the videos.

Rumsfeld has seen the videos, too.

Judge Orders Release of Abu Ghraib Photos
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001218842

What is shown on the photographs and videos from Abu Ghraib prison that the Pentagon has blocked from release? One clue: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told Congress last year, after viewing a large cache of unreleased images, "I mean, I looked at them last night, and they're hard to believe." They show acts "that can only be described as blatantly sadistic, cruel and inhumane," he added.

A Republican Senator suggested the same day they contained scenes of "rape and murder." Rumsfeld then commented, "If these are released to the public, obviously it's going to make matters worse."

The photos were among thousands turned over by the key "whistleblower" in the scandal, Specialist Joseph M. Darby. Just a few that were released to the press sparked the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal last year, and the video images are said to be even more shocking.

...

"'The American public needs to understand we're talking about rape and murder here. We're not just talking about giving people a humiliating experience,' Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told reporters after Rumsfeld testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee. 'We're talking about rape and murder -- and some very serious charges.'

[Drum]

2. I really like this part:

"The judge ordered the pictures released earlier this year, saying terrorists "do not need pretexts for their barbarism" and that suppressing the pictures would amount to submitting to blackmail.

"Our nation does not surrender to blackmail, and fear of blackmail is not a legally sufficient argument to prevent us from performing a statutory command," he said. "Indeed, the freedoms that we champion are as important to our success in Iraq and
Afghanistan as the guns and missiles with which our troops are armed."

[Barrett808]

3. Yes, brilliant

You hear that, Freepers?

[WhiteTara]

4. I like the clean up of the language

"tormenting" instead of "torturing" Sounds like they are teasing a cat.

[951-Riverside]

6. They probably destroyed the worst photos

I read about 6 monthsto a year ago there are photos out there of male soliders raping female detainees

[wtmusic]

44. S Hersch claims there is video of a boy being raped

in front of his mother. As horrible as it is--it must see the light of day.

[moodforaday]

5. They've all been out for some time, haven't they?

Salon published the full dossier less than two weeks ago:
http://www.salon.com/news/abu_ghraib/2006/03/14/introduction/

It's unlikely there's anything new. Perhaps they just admitting the cat is out of the bag. There haven't actually been any mass demonstrations against torture after Salon's publication...

[rodeodance]

8. yes, article basically said that DOD was prompted by salon release.

The ACLU said the government action seemed prompted by the recent publication of most of the disputed photographs on the Salon.com newsmagazine.

Anthony D. Romero, ACLU executive director, said the civil rights group "will press on with its lawsuit to hold high-level officials accountable for creating policies that resulted in the abuse of detainees."

[wtmusic]

45. No -- another juicy tidbit which will be released is *'s order

defining what practices may be used. They've been guarding that one for their lives.

[genieroze]

28. OMG, the pics are horrible. The videos are worse.

What a bunch of sick freaks who did this and who allowed it. :grr:

[katty]

48. horrid+++++

[Pachamama]

29. Not so...the pictures according to sources who have seen some of them

have not been released yet....The pictures and videos yet to be released include those of rape of children and other unmentionable acts....frankly the images salon had on its site are supposed to be tame compared to what hasn't been released yet.

[saigon68]

50. According to the Taguba report aYoung Boy was ANALLY RAPED

AND COULD BE HEARD screaming as his rectum was savaged

[rodeodance]

7. PLanned to drop the appeal.....umm.

The Department of Defense had appealed that order but planned to drop the appeal, the ACLU said.

[rodeodance]

9. aclu said they still have lawsuit for hold TOP officials responsible. GOOD

....Anthony D. Romero, ACLU executive director, said the civil rights group "will press on with its lawsuit to hold high-level officials accountable for creating policies that resulted in the abuse of detainees."

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

10. ACLU: Pentagon concedes Abu Ghraib photo, video case

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/ACLU_Pentagon_concedes_Abu_Ghraib_photo_0328.html

Published: Tuesday March 28, 2006

The American Civil Liberties Union today announced that the Department of Defense has withdrawn its appeal of a district court order compelling it to turn over images depicting detainee abuse by U.S. forces at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The Defense Department will identify which public images come from the contested trove and release any additional images in its possession.

The group's release, issued to RAW STORY, follows.

"A picture is worth a thousand words, but we have yet to hear one word of acknowledgment from Secretary Rumsfeld and other top officials that their policies and actions were responsible for the torture and abuse seen in these notorious photos," said Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU. "The ACLU will press on with its lawsuit to hold high-level officials accountable for creating policies that resulted in the abuse of detainees. If the American government wants to restore faith in our commitment to human rights, we must hold high-ranking officials accountable for their actions."

Today's developments mean that an earlier district court decision concerning the photographs will stand. That decision, written by Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, held that "Publication of the photographs is central to the purposes of FOIA because they initiate debate, not only about the improper and unlawful conduct of American soldiers, 'rogue' soldiers, as they have been characterized, but also about other important questions as well -- for example, the command structure whose failures in exercising supervision may make them culpable along with the soldiers who were court-martialed for perpetrating the wrongs."

At issue are 73 photographs and three videotapes depicting detainee abuse, provided by Sergeant Joseph Darby to the Army's Criminal Investigation Command, many of which were recently released on the newsmagazine Web site Salon.com. In a stipulation filed with the Court of Appeals, the government agreed to authenticate and identify images on the Salon Web site that are among the images it has withheld. Any of the 73 photographs and three videotapes that have not been published on the Salon Web site will be released to the ACLU (with individually identifying details deleted) within a week of the court's formal dismissal of the appeal.

[PVK]

11. Victory!--and they're not done yet! I'm so glad I support the ACLU.

"The ACLU will press on with its lawsuit to hold high-level officials accountable for creating policies that resulted in the abuse of detainees."

[HysteryDiagnosis]

12. The best punishment for Dumbsfeld would be to duct tape his hands

to the top of the lectern so he couldn't speak. ;)

[tabasco]

18. No, it would be walking through the streets of Baghdad.

Rummy could show us all of the progress.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

24. walking through the streets of Baghdad.

taped to his sides so he couldn't speak about all the progress.

[Placebo]

13. Hoorah!

The American people have a right to know what was done, and what is being done, in their name!

[Roon]

14. Uh-oh! This is gonna get ugly

If those images are as bad as Seymor Hersche says they are, this will start a firestorm. No doubt they could release those pictures and video, but should they? I have mixed feelings about this.

[PVK]

15. They've already been released to salon.com...

now the ACLU will get Rum Dummy for his part in all of this.

Is restoring our system of government and anti-torture doctrine worth it?

I don't think I need to answer that.

[phusion]

20. I don't think they were all released...

were they?

[PVK]

21. Not all but I think most of them. It was a large number. n/t

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

16. Many different ways to look at this one...

...but the thing that keeps feeding the G.O.P. beast, especially in election years, is the "We protect you, the Dems can't" baloney.

And in light of the full court press coming from Karl Rove and Karen Hughes on the "irresponsible" media's failure to report the "good news" from Iraq, maybe it's time for the scales to be balanced.

It will be very hard to spin this, but if Seymour Hirsch is correct, the people in the "unseen" photos and videos need to pay for their crimes.

:patriot:

[LynnTheDem]

23. Those it happened to, those whose loved ones it happened to,

already know.

YES they should ALL be shoen; every photo, every video.

Evil needs exposing to the daylight. That's the only way to destroy it.

[bluestateguy]

17. Will all the pictures actually BE released?

Why would the Pentagon just give up, rather than just run out the clock until Baby Bush is out of office? This seems fishy, and leads me to believe that the Pentagon neo-con peckers are up to something sinister.

[The Stranger]

19. Prepare the indictments for the torturers.

All the way to the top.

[texpatriot2004]

22. Thanks a Million to the ACLU nm

[mike_c]

25. I think most of the cat was already out of the bag anyway....

They would have stonewalled until hell froze over if it would have done any good. I think they realized that 1) most of the materials have been leaked anyway, and 2) there has not been the anticipated shitstorm of criticism after all. Thirty-five percent of America supports them anyway, and the other 65 percent either has outrage fatigue or will be shielded by the MSM. In that environment the ongoing court case is potentially more damaging than the photos themselves.

[wtmusic]

47. The worst is yet to come (for the DOD)

if reports are true about what is contained in the unreleased photographs and videos. They would have lost their appeal anyway, and it could have been very close to election time.

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[951-Riverside]

27. Does anyone know what this message said?

I saw "...The boys were sodomized with the cameras rolling." by singledot779 but I have no idea what it was about because when I clicked it the message was deleted

[Poll_Blind]

51. Seymour Hersh reported the shrieks of sodomized...

...children (links to report inside) on video.


It was reported here among many other places.

PB

[OKNancy]

32. kick

[Poll_Blind]

33. Let the sun shine in! K&R! n/t

PB

[katty]

34. U.S. backs down, will Release Abu Ghraib photos

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060329-074421-8013r

U.S. backs down, will release abuse photos
WASHINGTON, March 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. Defense Department has abandoned its legal fight to withhold unpublished photos and videotapes of prisoner abuse at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison.

The Defense Department had been challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union in October 2003 to release the images, seven months before some of them were leaked to the media, including the Australian Broadcasting Corp., and Salon.com.

In September 2005, a New York judge ruled the department must release the images and the Pentagon appealed. Tuesday, the appeal was dropped, CNN reported.

ACLU attorney Amrit Singh said the government has agreed to comply with the court's order to turn over the images and the government will authenticate photos from Salon.com in its possession, and any of the 74 photos it has that are not on Salon.com will be turned over.

There have been more than 600 criminal investigations in the aftermath of the initial revelations of detainee abuse, a Pentagon official said.

[saigon68]

35. WOW MORE STUFF TO POST

[wtmusic]

36. Fantastic news nt

[katty]

38. yes, it is...+this news should 'make W's day'

[Nickster]

37. Dubya figures his polls can't go any lower, so why not? n/t

[Duer 157099]

39. They have finally realized that they needn't expend energy

defending their crimes since it's been demonstrated time and again that their crimes go unpunished anyway; instead they must focus on committing more crimes.

[amitten]

40. What do you want to bet they've been edited?

We'll probably end up seeing only the most palatable of the pictures requested. The rest will end up God knows where.

[Robb]

41. Indeed. They'll look like this:

[wtmusic]

46. Identities will be edited out

but members of the Armed Services committee have already seen all of them, as has Judge Hellerstein. He's been pretty solid so far, and likely won't put up with that kind of a response.

[gratuitous]

42. Very, very odd

Unless the corrupt Bush administration figured the photos would have to be released anyway, and this way they get to control the timing of the release, if only a smidgen. Fighting this through the appeals court might have taken them up to September (bad) or October (worse), and really hurt the 2006 elections. Now they can argue come September that all this is just old news, more bad apple-ism, and isn't it time to move on?

[wtmusic]

43. Not so odd

They were heading toward losing the appeal, and you're spot on about the timing. They want it out now.

[KansDem]

49. From the ACLU website:

The ACLU said the government's strenuous efforts to resist the ACLU's lawsuit seeking release of the images may ultimately have led to many of the images being leaked -- reportedly by members of the military - to Salon and to the Australian Broadcasting System, among others.

"The government's attempts to shield evidence of its own misconduct from public scrutiny ultimately proved to be futile," said Amrit Singh, an attorney with the ACLU. "These images speak volumes about the responsibility borne by high-ranking officials for the widespread abuse of detainees held in United States custody abroad."

The photographs to be released by the Defense Department come in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the ACLU, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Physicians for Human Rights, Veterans for Common Sense and Veterans for Peace. The New York Civil Liberties Union is co-counsel in the case.

http://www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/24785prs20060328.html

Those members of the military, who reportedly leaked these photos, should be applauded. Placing country over politics is the sign of a conscious, and not always easy to do.

[annabanana]

52. This is it then, .. . . the great disinfectant (sunshine and clean air)

will wash over this disgrace so that we may begin the long process of attrition.

[wtmusic]

53. These could come out in the Friday news dump nt