Pentagon Blocks Release of Abu Ghraib Images: Here's Why

[cyberpj]

Pentagon Blocks Release of Abu Ghraib Images: Here's Why

By Greg Mitchell

Published: July 23, 2005 6:00 PM ET

NEW YORK So what is shown on the 87 photographs and four videos from Abu Ghraib prison that the Pentagon, in an eleventh hour move, blocked from release this weekend? 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.” No wonder Rumsfeld commented then, "If these are released to the public, obviously it's going to make matters worse."

Yesterday, news emerged that lawyers for the Pentagon had refused to cooperate with a federal judge's order to release dozens of unseen photographs and videos from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq by Saturday. 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.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000990590

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[cyberpj]

6. I fear you are right. Not that I want to see them, just expose that lie

about a few bad apples.

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[Auntie Bush]

11. When Bush puts in all his own judges we won't have a leg to stand on.

He and cohorts will be able to do as they please and commit any crime they want without fear of any punishment or consequences.

[dweller]

2. "a federal judge's order"

so, now they are in contempt of a federal court?

dp

[XemaSab]

14. those darn activist judges...

will no-one stop the tyranny of the judiciary?

now they're demading accountability from the people in charge of our armed forces.

what will they demand next?

equal justice under law?

[hijinx87]

3. you don't just refuse a federal judge's order. wtf is up here? n/t

[ChiciB1]

5. Seemingly, As Has Happened So Many Times Before....

"the corrupt ones" think the LAWS don't apply to them! And as Marcinkowski said at the hearings last Friday regarding the CIA outing of Plame, unless you follow politics as we do, most Americans are busy, hard-working people. They don't follow this stuff as we do here at DU.

And that's a real shame, and "the corrupt ones" know this all too well!

Many of those hard working Americans don't really have an agenda, they simply don't have the TIME available, nor are some of them even connected to the Internet. Many having to hold down 2 to 3 jobs to survive. How we rectify this problem is beyond me. I do what I can to "talk it up" to everyone I'm around and that does help, but I'm only one person.

[unrepuke]

4. D.R.; "...obviously it's going to make matters worse." -- for whom?

This shows to me the importance to them of not releasing the photos - not the fact of the tortures themselves.

[Contrary1]

7. They will turn up eventually...

There's more than one copy of everything. Somebody out there is sitting on them just waiting for the right time.

It will happen.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

8. I hope you are right - the original FOIA request was filed October 2003

and the government has been stalling all this time about these particular images. Maybe others who have copies have been hesitating to publish them, hoping that the government eventually would officially hand them over. Maybe if it looks like the matter through legal channels is dead, they will now come forward.

[kster]

9. Thats what I'm thinking

they shouldn't have f*ck*ed with the CIA. No law or Judge can help them now.

Just sit back and watch the CIA work. :popcorn:

[Mr_Spock]

10. That's what I was thinking

It seems very unlikely that there is only one copy of these. They are fighting the inevitable. With a judges order, they could be released now and the person responsible would have (some) protection from prosecution.

[Vinca]

16. Somewhere there is a person who would turn over the CD to

the first tabloid with a 7 figure check in hand. It could happen and probably will.

[whosinpower]

12. You can be absolutely sure that

If these photographs were of Iraqi's toruting Iraqi's under Saddam's rule - they would be released pronto with a vengence.

[Pam-Moby]

13. You got that right. n/t

[gulfcoastliberal]

15. Spreading freedom and democracy

If you define freedom & democracy as tens of thousands of innocent dead civilians, imprisoned and tortured civilians taken in the night and held without trials, a terrorized population living in anarchy, and almost complete collapse of the infrastructure and economy. Meanwhile the population has the further indignity of suffering an occupier that refuses employing them to rebuild their own institutions. Yeah, they're so much better off now. :sarcasm: