White House "Ordered" Lawmakers to Amend FOIA in Order to Conceal Torture Photos

[babsbunny]

White House "Ordered" Lawmakers to Amend FOIA in Order to Conceal Torture Photos

http://www.truthout.org/101709A

Saturday 17 October 2009

by: Jason Leopold, t r u t h o u t | Report

The Obama administration will likely drop its Supreme Court petition challenging the release of photographs showing US soldiers abusing prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan now that lawmakers are set to pass legislation authorizing the government to continue to keep the images under wraps.

On Thursday, the House approved a Department of Homeland Security spending bill that included a provision to amend the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and grant Defense Secretary Robert Gates the authority to withhold "protected documents" that, if released, would endanger the lives of US soldiers or government employees deployed outside of the country.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

1. What, you couldn't find a more credible source than this?

Was the Time Cube guy unavailable for comment?

[Jim Sagle]

4. The ShamWow guy would be better still, but he's dead.

;)

[boppers]

5. Wrong pitchman.

Billy Mays died. Offer "Vince" Shlomi is still alive.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Offer

[ThePantaloon.com]

8. Is he going to prison

for fighting with that hooker? Linguini, bikini, martini.

[boppers]

9. Prosecutors didn't file charges either way.

So, no prison, no trial, for either party.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

11. See post 10

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

12. ......

[MannyGoldstein]

2. I'm Glad I'm Being Protected

I don't want to know what my government is doing. War crimes, whatever.

Hey! Anything good on cable?

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. Did the White House order lawmakers to do this in "24 busienss hours?"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1186820

:shrug:

[BuyingThyme]

6. Fuck you, Democrats!

[tritsofme]

7. I have heard from inside sources that these photos will be released within

the next 24 business hours.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

10. It's in the bill - link and additional

http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_HR_2892.html

(Sec. 567) Detainee Photographic Records Protection Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Defense to: (1) certify any photograph taken between September 11, 2001, and January 22, 2009, that relates to the treatment of individuals engaged, captured, or detained after September 11, 2001, by the U.S. Armed Forces in operations outside of the United States if the Secretary determines that disclosure of such photograph would endanger U.S. citizens or members of the Armed Forces or U.S. government employees deployed outside the United States; and (2) submit timely notice of such certification to Congress. Authorizes the Secretary to submit a renewal of a certification at any time. Provides that a certification or a renewal shall expire after three years. Exempts such a certified photograph from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), but does not preclude voluntary disclosure.

http://www.truthout.org/101709A

Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-New York) said in a floor statement that the provision to amend the Freedom of Information Act was stripped from an earlier version of the bill, but the language was quietly reinserted in recent weeks, "apparently under direct orders from the administration."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qADMDj1lk0o

[merh]

13. Gee, if it is so easy to "order" that legislation be passed

what has all this fuss about the legislation on health care reform and on the environment and the economy been about.

All Obama has to do is "order" the legislation. :eyes:

[Marr]

15. You really don't see the fundamental political difference

between something like national healthcare, which will mean less money for massive corporate interests, and a torture coverup?

One is *not* wanted by the powers that be, and one *is*. That's the only difference that matters.

I can't speak to the authenticity of this particular report, of course. I'm only addressing the validity of your argument.

[G_j]

14. UK to appeal order demanding publication of US torture docs

whole lota cover-up going on...


UK to appeal order demanding publication of US torture docs

By Agence France-Presse
Saturday, October 17th, 2009 -- 9:27 am


Britain will appeal against a court ruling ordering it to publish secret US intelligence documents related to the alleged torture of a former Guantanamo Bay inmate, it said.

Binyam Mohamed, an Ethiopian-born British resident, was arrested in Pakistan in 2002 on suspicion of links to extremists and spent six-and-a-half years in US custody in Morocco, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay.

His lawyers are seeking the release of information they say will show that Britain knew he was being tortured during his time in US custody in Morocco, a claim which is strongly denied by officials here.

Both Britain and the US spoke out against the ruling.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he was "deeply disappointed" and warned the judgment could cause the United States to limit the information it shared with Britain in future.

Read more:

http://rawstory.com/2009/10/uk-to-appeal-order-demanding-publication-of-us-torture-docs/