NYT Editorial: Stop Hiding Images of American Torture

[n2doc]

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD

A hooded man standing on a box, electrodes wired to his fingers. A naked prisoner lying on a cement floor, a leash around his neck held casually by an American soldier. The bloody bodies of dead inmates with their heads bashed in.

Ten years later, the photos leaked from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq remain seared into the American consciousness. But while the United States government was unable to prevent their release, more than 2,000 other photos taken at various American military facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan have remained hidden under a 2009 law. By one account, the images — which officials say are a mix of snapshots by soldiers and photos by military investigators documenting allegations of abuse — are “worse than Abu Ghraib.”

On Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union won an important victory for transparency when a federal district judge in New York City, Alvin Hellerstein, rejected the government’s blanket claim of privilege for all the photos. Judge Hellerstein ordered the government to show why the release of the photos would endanger American lives, and to show that it had considered each photo individually.

President Obama agreed to the photos’ release after taking office in 2009 but changed his mind after pleas from military officials and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. The 2009 law — the Protected National Security Documents Act — created a three-year exemption from the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/31/opinion/sunday/stop-hiding-images-of-american-torture.html?_r=0

[BrotherIvan]

1. "changed his mind after pleas from military officials" is one way of putting it.

[daleanime]

2. K&R....

[Diclotican]

3. n2doc

n2doc

I think many americans would be outraged if the evidence was coming out - about the picturing of torture been doing by american soldiers - or intelligence agents on behave of USA - the evidence we do know about - from Abu Gharib and other places is graphic enough - but I fear it exist many more - who is far worse than the ones who was shown to the world -and who sparked a lot of justified anger all over the world - the insensitivity of US who used torture at Abu Gharib was just stunning - as it was one of the worst prisons where iraqi was tortured by the Iraqi authorities on a regular basis back in the days when Saddam Hussein was one of the buddies of the USA... If americans know what was been doing in their name - they would rather loudly demand the ones who did it - and who made it possible to do it higher up - to the White House for that matter - dread out on the street - and put in prison - with a court date to explain them self -and thereafter live in a prison cell for the rest of their natural life....

Diclotican

[n2doc]

4. I guess I am not that positive about the American People

Those who wish to know have seen bits and pieces, and know enough to feel that way. My prediction is that, even if we had a complete document and photo drop from the Bush years, there would be about a week of outrage. Then back to normal, with nothing having changed except the RW noise machine would be working full time to distract, distort and outright lie to protect themselves.

[Diclotican]

7. n2doc

n2doc

I am maybe an optimist - but I do believe in the goodness of the american people - they might be fooled - and is sometimes really stupid - but they are always in my mind being honest - and will do the right thing - in the end - even when they are being fooled again and again and again....

And I do believe - if the evidence against Bush and the cronies was given to the americans - in full and not just pieces here and there - now and then - the outrage would be far more than just for a week - it would be like in the Watergate - just on steorides... Even the RW media would be able to outright lie - or distract distort the facts - and the truth... Even if they have been doing it for 30 year now - distorting the truth - to a degree I suspect even Dr Gobbles of the Hitler era would have envied them... But the truth will always come true - even if hidden for many years.... At least it was what I was told home - to keep it honest as it would be known somewhat down the road anyway - something I have tried to live by even if it is difficult sometimes to keep it honest

Diclotican

[G_j]

5. so instead of releasing the photos as promised, Obama instead helped create — the Protected National

Security Documents Act — not surprised...

[seveneyes]

6. Facts and opinions

One is not like the other.

[malaise]

8. K & R

Truth will out

[Enthusiast]

9. A three-year exemption from the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act?

How fucking convenient!

Why don't we extend the law? I know, we can call it the Nazi Protection Act.