Update in ACLU Torture FOIA Lawsuit - No Appeal

[jsamuel]

Note that they are not appealing the release of their documents for defense (does not deal with the actual photos - Aug 30 for that).

http://www.aclu.org/International/International.cfm?ID=18921&c=36


Update in ACLU Torture FOIA Lawsuit

August 19, 2005

Contact: [e-mail]

Following a two-hour closed hearing in New York on August 15, a federal judge ordered the government to reveal blacked-out portions of its legal papers arguing against the release of images depicting abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib. The government has told the court it will not appeal the decision and will release the documents in their entirety sometime next week.

The court will next hear arguments on August 30 to determine whether the Defense Department must release 87 photographs and four videos depicting abuse and torture at Abu Ghraib. After unsuccessfully invoking the Geneva Conventions to block the release of the images, the government is now citing a legal provision that permits the withholding of records "compiled for law enforcement purposes," that "could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual."

In a friend-of-the-court brief submitted in the case, The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and several media outlets and associations, including CBS Broadcasting, NBC Universal, The Hearst Corporation, The New York Times Co. and the American Society of Newspaper Editors, object to "the government's misdirected effort to undermine the by asserting, in essence, that its own misconduct has created an indictment too damning for the public to see." Read the brief at http://action.aclu.org/torturefoia/legal/amicus080305.pdf.

[Hissyspit]

1. Yes!

[tnlefty]

2. kick

:dem:

[Canuckistanian]

3. Wow, Cindy, CNN special, Rove under suspicion and now this

Whoo-hoo!

[merh]

4. Slowly but surely the truth will come out.

So glad they won't appeal this provision. Now on to the images.

:thumbsup:

[Cats Against Frist]

5. I love that last quote

That's exactly what they're doing -- trying to hide their war crimes by any means possible. It's twisted, isn't it?

[tabasco]

6. Progress in exposing the crimes of the regime.

We demand to know what is done in our name!

The corporate cabal fears the truth above all else.

The Iraqi People know what happened at Abu Ghraib. Now it is time for the American People to learn.

[ThoughtCriminal]

7. MInor step forward

All this means is that they have to make public their reasons for violating the court order to release the photos.

[Rainscents]

8. Kick!!!

Thanks for posting this!!!

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[bluestateguy]

9. Once those pictures come out

public support for the Iraq war will collapse into the all but the hardest of the hard core neo-conservatives.

The first round of pictures, we were told, were the "mild" pictures.

[annabanana]

10. OK Now we'll find out why they think they have a new

excuse to keep the pics away from the American public. I guess that's a step in the right direction. But it looks like the meat and potatoes of the issue will be served up on the 30th..... or not.

[Gary173]

13. I would venture a guess that if

those photos are released the military will need additional guards at the prisons in Iraq to prevent the Iraqi public from storming them. Like maybe 700 Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division.

[annabanana]

15. The Iraqi people already know all about it.

It's only the American public who are in the dark now.
Welcome to DU :toast:

[me b zola]

11. Thanks for the reminder

:kick:

[uppityperson]

12. Not the picts, just the documents saying why no picts

This is still not about the pictures, but the government must show it's arguments (arguments being don't release picts). Government filed papers saying don't release picts, only they blacked out portions of those papers for public viewing. Now they must show the entire filing.

The next date for anything to happen is the court will hear reasons to not release picts, more than is given in this filing. Aug 30.

It is good that at least we can see the reasons they give for asking for the pictures to not be released rather than "don't release them and we won't tell you why we say this". I hate these guys.

[jsamuel]

14. kick

:kick: