Appeals Court Refuses To Revisit Decision Ordering Defense DeptTo Release Prisoner Abuse Photos

[kpete]

Source: ACLU

Appeals Court Refuses To Revisit Decision Ordering Defense Department To Release Prisoner Abuse Photos (3/17/2009)

Photos Depict Abuse By U.S. Personnel At Facilities In Afghanistan And Iraq

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: [phone]; [e-mail]

NEW YORK – A federal court rejected a Bush administration request to reconsider a decision that ordered the Department of Defense to release photographs depicting the abuse of detainees by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected the government's request to have the full appeals court rehear a decision from last September ordering the release of the photos as part of an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit seeking information on the abuse of prisoners held in U.S. custody overseas.

The Obama administration, which has not taken a position on the litigation, has 90 days to appeal to the Supreme Court if it chooses to challenge the September order.

"This decision is a stinging rejection of the Bush administration's attempt to keep the public in the dark about the widespread abuse of prisoners held in U.S. custody abroad," said ACLU staff attorney Amrit Singh, who argued the case before the court. "These photographs demonstrate that prison abuse was not aberrational and not confined to Abu Ghraib. Release of the photographs would send a powerful message that the new administration intends to make a clean break from the unaccountability of the Bush years."

Since the ACLU's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in 2003, the government has refused to disclose these images by attempting to radically expand the exemptions allowed under the FOIA for withholding records. The government claimed that the public disclosure of such evidence would generate outrage and would violate U.S. obligations towards detainees under the Geneva Conventions.

Read more: http://www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/39039prs20090317.html

[aquamarina]

1. Let the sunshine in

[Solly Mack]

2. K&R

[flyarm]

3. There needs to be outrage..so many Americans are clueless to these abuses

and they have been..these pictures need to be seen by each and every American, so this never ever happens again.

So many of us here have told friends and family about these pictures , and we all get the same blank stare, like we are the ones who are nuts..or we get the eye roll and the common thread from most that are unaware..if there were pictures wouldn't the networks have shown them..anyone else heard those words?? Or if there was "that" kind of abuse do you really believe we wouldn't have all heard about it?? Have you heard those words as well??????

There damn well needs to be the most extraordinary outrage , and the Bush bunch need to be held accountable with a special prosecutor ..for war crimes!

Thank You Kpete for your incredible reporting!!

fly

[santamargarita]

4. I keep my hopes up that the outrage will be so overwhelming...

that if this bunch will be prosecuted at once. And, finally get these fascist pigs out of our lives once and for all!

[pleah]

5. K&R Hot damn!

That bit of good news makes me feel a little better today.

[catnhatnh]

6. This is the one President Obama and the Justice Dept. need to address.

The best thing they could do is announce they will not appeal the ruling and that the court should now immediately act on it's ruling.

[nolabels]

17. This also might be a litmus test

If the Obama and HIS Justice dept take sides with the prior Bush Administration then we will have a large clue that we all have been sold down the river for the National Security State


(snip)
In his book "Brave New World Order" (Orbis Books, 1992, paper), Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer identified seven characteristics of a National Security State <4>:

* The first characteristic of a National Security State is that the military is the highest authority. In a National Security State the military not only guarantees the security of the state against all internal and external enemies, it has enough power to determine the overall direction of the society. In a National Security State the military exerts important influence over political, economic, as well as military affairs.

* A second defining feature of a National Security State is that political democracy and democratic elections are viewed with suspicion, contempt, or in terms of political expediency. National Security States often maintain an appearance of democracy. However, ultimate power rests with the military or within a broader National Security Establishment.

* A third characteristic of a National Security State is that the military and related sectors wield substantial political and economic power. They do so in the context of an ideology which stresses that 'freedom" and "development" are possible only when capital is concentrated in the hands of elites.

* A fourth feature of a National Security State is its obsession with enemies. There are enemies of the state everywhere. Defending against external and/or internal enemies becomes a leading preoccupation of the state, a distorting factor in the economy, and a major source of national identity and purpose.
(snip)
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Security_State

[defendandprotect]

24. Interesting post -

[Jefferson23]

7. YES and thank you again ACLU!!!!!!!

[L. Coyote]

8. REC & support the ACLU!!

[chollybocker]

9. The good news is the access to previously 'off-limits' photos.

The bad news is that we now have to look at those photos.

I shudder to imagine the kind of depraved torture poloroids we're about to be subjected to. <<shudder>>

[pmorlan1]

10. Send an email to the White House

We should all send an email to the White House asking them not to appeal this case. The public has a right to know what was done in our names.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

[defendandprotect]

25. yep .. done -- thanks ACLU--!!!

[Hubert Flottz]

11. K&R

If they did nothing wrong like they claim, then what are they afraid of?

[humbled_opinion]

12. The Problem However,

Is that the ACLU is slowly dying, (read more here)

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090330/press?rel=hp_picks


Everyone should support this last bastion of truth and awareness for the American People. We should petition our lawmakers to support funding to help the ACLU stay afloat during this CRISIS.

[sansf]

16. and Madoff did not help

Foundations that supported ACLU hit by the Ponzer:

http://www.examiner.com/x-536-Civil-Liberties-Examiner~y2008m12d23-ACLU-hit-by-Madoff-Ponzi-scheme

Husband and I just renewed our membership. Even more proud to be a card carrying member.

Thanks for Nation link.

[defendandprotect]

26. Legal Services Corporation should be rehabilitated --

an odd way to finance such an essential social good, and it is, but the evisceration during the Reagan era of the Legal Services Corporation, the federal agency created in the 1970s to fund legal aid programs and a longstanding target of Republicans

The Repug destroyers .....!!!

Legal Services Corporation should be rehabilitated --

and let's end any and all privitization of government, government programs, or military.

[Supersedeas]

28. prudent advice, that

[Kaleko]

13. This can be read as an admission of guilt, actually.

"The government claimed that the public disclosure of such evidence would generate outrage
and would violate U.S. obligations towards detainees under the Geneva Conventions."

Yes, it definitely violates U.S. obligations regarding the treatment of prisoners under the Geneva Conventions.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

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

[tomm2thumbs]

15. we should start a fund to create a 'BUSH PRESIDENTIAL MUSEUM OF TRUTH' so the truth gets out

The currently planned self-serving 'Presidential' Bush museum in the works is a joke -

I hope folks figure out that putting together a REAL museum of bush TRUTH would be a HUGE money maker and probably would generate more income than the 'Presidential' museum would. Hell, put it in the shovel-ready project list - the first exhibit is the gallery of those pictures.

Bush is a nightmare that needs to be remembered vividly in order not to repeat it.

Folks could be invited to bring shoes to throw at a Bush cutout, there can be a huge interactive board of Bush phraseology 'what he said' and 'what he meant', a wall of lies, a 'Bush's globe' exhibit showing all the places he misnamed, started wars in or completely dropped the ball on, a 'grab the bail out cash' money booth, and on and on.

[barbtries]

20. that is an excellent idea

i mean it. earlier this month my son and i visited the holocaust museum in DC. it was very powerful. i would think the gwbush presidential crimes museum would be as well.

[Norrin Radd]

18. kr

[DUlover2909]

19. Koolz. More bad news for the torture supporters.

:patriot: Thanks ACLU.

[liberalsince1968]

21. I expect the Obama administration to appeal.

[acmavm]

22. So do I.

[defendandprotect]

27. Not without disgracing themselves ...

[slipslidingaway]

23. K&R n/t

[No Elephants]

29. I'm BEGGING. You can become a member of the ACLU for as little as $20 per year, but

please give all you can. And if even $20 per year is more than you can do, send what you can.

Here are your options. http://action.aclu.org/site/PageServer?pagename=FJ_donationhome&s_subsrc=header_join_hp

After almost 30 years of RW in the Oval Office and Congress, even public broadcasting has been co-opted to a degree.

ACLU is one of the very last institutions standing between us and evil; and it is in financial trouble now.

Please? For our country, us, our kids and our grandkids?