ACLU -Anthony D. Romero - Statement on not releasing photos

[slipslidingaway]

http://aclu.org/safefree/torture/39587prs20090513.html

"The Obama administration's adoption of the stonewalling tactics and opaque policies of the Bush administration flies in the face of the president's stated desire to restore the rule of law, to revive our moral standing in the world and to lead a transparent government. This decision is particularly disturbing given the Justice Department's failure to initiate a criminal investigation of torture crimes under the Bush administration.

"It is true that these photos would be disturbing; the day we are no longer disturbed by such repugnant acts would be a sad one. In America, every fact and document gets known – whether now or years from now. And when these photos do see the light of day, the outrage will focus not only on the commission of torture by the Bush administration but on the Obama administration's complicity in covering them up. Any outrage related to these photos should be due not to their release but to the very crimes depicted in them. Only by looking squarely in the mirror, acknowledging the crimes of the past and achieving accountability can we move forward and ensure that these atrocities are not repeated.

"If the Obama administration continues down this path, it will betray not only its promises to the American people, but its commitment to this nation's most fundamental principles. President Obama has said we should turn the page, but we cannot do that until we fully learn how this nation veered down the path of criminality and immorality, who allowed that to happen and whose lives were mutilated as a result. Releasing these photos – as painful as it might be – is a critical step toward that accounting. The American people deserve no less."

More information about the ACLU's FOIA lawsuit, which has resulted in the release of more than 100,000 government documents to date, can be found online at:" www.aclu.org/torturefoia


President Obama...

"It’s therefore my belief that the publication of these photos would not add any additional benefit to our understanding of what was carried out in the past by a small number of individuals."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=311886&mesg_id=311886

[pleah]

1. K&R

[slipslidingaway]

2. Thanks nt

[pleah]

3. You're welcome. :) n/t

[Hepburn]

4. Another K&R...n/t

[rug]

5. Bravo!

:applause:

[slipslidingaway]

11. Thanks :) n/t

[Hepburn]

6. I swear to gawd....

...I am looking at the TV and I am seeing a brand new prez...and the same old words of the last Admin are coming out of his mouth.

:puke:

[slipslidingaway]

10. I know he cannot believe there were only a few bad apples....

why even include this in his statement.

:(

[sonias]

7. Not good for transparency

We have to show the world that despite the fact that these photos are disturbing - that we as a country admit to it and will not allow these practices to be hidden.

Can you imagine the whole world beeing prohibited from seeing the Holocaust camp photos? We already have Holocaust deniers as it is. If we hide these photos, more and more people will believe we approve of this torture. The point is not to humiliate the victims or even the perpetrators - but to admit we did a horrible thing and to let the world know this will never happen again. Never!

This is not acceptable Mr President. We should put them out there and just deal with it out in the open, for the whole world to see.

Sonia

[slipslidingaway]

12. I agree, put them out there and make sure people know this

was the prior administration, not sure why he wants to be part of a cover up.

[Wednesdays]

8. K&R

:kick:

[slipslidingaway]

13. Thank you :) nt

[olegramps]

9. Are you really surprised?

Three generals in charge of operations in Iraq pleaded with President Obama to not release the photos because it would put our troops in serious jeopardy of reprisals.

This is the crux of the matter and why we agreed with other nations to abide by rules that outlawed torture since our own troops could tortured. The Bush-Cheney Fascist cabal totally disregarded this most basic consideration. It is this disregard of such fundamental laws that demands that those responsible for this situation should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I could agree with President Obama if he didn't release the photos in order to protect our troops if he was determined to hold those who ordered this atrocious behavior fully accountable. Since he is not going to pursue them and demand justice, I believe that in regard to this matter he is total wrong.

[slipslidingaway]

15. The reversal on this is stunning, the initial suit by the ACLU called

for a small number of photos to be released, then the Obama administration said they would instead release up to 2000 photos.

Republicans said President Obama was making a mistake and jeopardizing our troops, less than a month later the administration now agrees.

:shrug:

[stillcool]

14. We need a good leaker..

I'm really surprised at this. It would be one thing if the agreement to release them had not already been made. The reversal is curious, what with Dick Cheney all over the place, and Dawn Johnsen still not confirmed.

[sonias]

16. And you can bet they will be leaked

Just like the original photos the soldiers put out themselves. Someone will leak them and it will be much, much worse.

We just need to come clean on the whole torture situation. All of it needs to be made public and we all need to know it. All of it.

Sonia

[stillcool]

18. I don't believe that..

will ever happen..releasing 'all of it'. Too much water under that bridge. After all, we've been doing this shit long before Bush came along..hell we teach it at the School of the America's or whatever it's called these days. There are other countries involved, and I wonder how that plays into all this..not these photo's but torture and prosecution in general. Will they be protected? I'm also wondering about the culpability of the United States Government, rather than individuals acting for the government. Will the government have to defend itself, against the material it releases? I guess not..because no one has mentioned it, but I wonder why.

[slipslidingaway]

17. I agree...

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/05/13/dawn_johnsen/index.html

"...It's unclear what the White House or the Democratic leadership have done, if anything, to support Johnsen's nomination (Christy Hardin Smith suggests that the answer is "nothing"), but what's not unclear is that they have lent their absolute, unconditional support for Arlen Specter's re-election in a blue-state Senate seat that could easily be filled by someone infinitely better than Specter.

The Senate that is refusing to confirm Dawn Johnsen is the same Senate that confirmed Gen. Michael Hayden as CIA Director -- with overwhelming Democratic support -- even after it was revealed that he oversaw Bush's illegal NSA spying program. It's the same Senate that confirmed Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General -- with substantial Democratic support -- even once everyone knew that he had played a key role in Bush's torture program. It's the same Senate that -- thanks to Democrats Dianne Feinstein and Chuck Schumer -- confirmed Michael Mukasey as Attorney General even after he refused to say whether waterboarding was torture and endorsed some of the most extremist presidential powers ever asserted in the U.S..."