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Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu Ghraib Pictures

By TChris, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Fri Jul 22, 2005 at 02:49:50 PM EST
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by TChris

The Bush administration didn't want you to see a parade of flag-draped coffins -- more than 1770 of them, at this point -- returning from Iraq. The administration wants to control the message, and the tragic reality of this war isn't the message it wants to convey. Nor does it want you to see images of torture at Abu Ghraib, but it seemed to be losing its struggle to withhold those pictures and videos from the Center for Constitutional Rights. As TalkLeft reported, the government was ordered to release them by today. Didn't happen:

They were given until today to produce the images, but at the eleventh hour filed a motion to oppose the release of the photos and videos, based on an entirely new argument: they are now requesting a 7(F) exemption from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act to withhold law enforcement-related information in order to protect the physical safety of individuals. Today’s move is the latest in a series of attempts by the government to keep the images from being made public and to cover up the torture of detainees in U.S. custody around the world.

As Daily Kos remarks: "The coverup continues."

Update (TL):

The ACLU's statement is here , while the the Center for Constitutional Rights has this statement on the refusal.

< Statements of Witnesses at CIA Leak Hearing | Roman Polanski Wins Libel Suit Against Vanity Fair >

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    Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu Ghraib Pictures | 19 comments (19 topical)
    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#1)
    by Johnny on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:32 PM EST
    The way I see it, we as Americans need to say the exact same thing that supporters f the Patriot Act say:"If you have nothing to hide, why worry?" Show us the pictures, BushCo.

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:32 PM EST
    Where's PPJ and his snark? What's to worry about? It was only a bit of fun, right Jim? Jim? Jim?

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#3)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:32 PM EST
    TL, You won't be able to post them on your site if you have obsenity filters. The only place we'll find them is at Ogrish, along with the other mutilations, murders, rapes and executions. "Guard, can I get seconds on the noodles jefferson?" Think Duncan Hunter will show THAT at a news conference?

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:32 PM EST
    Posted by Blaghdaddy: Where's PPJ and his snark? What's to worry about? It was only a bit of fun, right Jim? Jim? Jim?
    LOL! And where is Ed to tie Bush's blocking of the photos and videos into World War II?

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#5)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:32 PM EST
    Jim will consider the mass release of photos as purely inflammatory. He'll say the cases of abuse have been and continue to be, ahem, investigated, prosecuted and punished; that they are ultimately, ahem, isolated incidents; and as such releasing the photos will only demoralize our troops and embolden the enemy. He's a Rumsfeldian: A large number of photos is not a photo of a large number of abuses, and therefore no snapshot of any widespread problem exists.

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:32 PM EST
    Also, wasn't Rumsfeld supposed to release on July 11 (or 18) some documents relating to plans for Iraq, etc.? He didn't do it, but what exactly was he supposed to be releasing?

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#7)
    by Al on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:32 PM EST
    PPJ will say that abuse is not the same as torture, and that the prisoners never had it so good. There, PPJ, we've covered all your talking points, so we've saved you the trouble of posting.

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:32 PM EST
    The neo-thug apologists are running for cover...between Plame-Gate and "Let's rape Iraqi children for sport"-Gate, this would be a leftist's "Schadenfruede Olympic" special...if not for the fact that real people's and childrens' lives have been destroyed in all of this. Blagh isn't usually one to call for indiscriminate executions, but if the past four years aren't a reason to be building scaffolds in the Rose Garden, there never has been a case for capital punishment...

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#9)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:32 PM EST
    Blag, please don't feed the trolls. Besides, their RNC talking points haven't come out yet.

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#10)
    by scarshapedstar on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:32 PM EST
    Why is the government so afraid of a few harmless fratboy pranks?

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#11)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:32 PM EST
    Boston Herald, May 8th, 2004: Signaling the worst revelations are yet to come, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said the additional photos show "acts that can only be described as blatantly sadistic, cruel and inhuman."
    Why does rumsfeld hate america!?

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:32 PM EST
    Sailor: Sorry, got carried away with the snark...but where's Rush? One would imagine he'd be howling for the release of the "fratboy" pics with which he could adorn the "Club Guantanamo" page on his site for paying members only...

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:32 PM EST
    If this is such a great and noble war, why does this Admin spend so much time and effort to hide so much of it from the American people whose tax dollars are paying for it?

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:34 PM EST
    Gee, Bush Inc. is ignoring the order of a federal judge. Makes me yearn for the days when the GOP actually supported the rule of law. Oh well, those days are gone, thanks to the neo-cons.

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#15)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:34 PM EST
    No secrecy should be allowed in govt's supposedly by, of , and for the people. I want to see how my tax dollars are being spent in this crusade, this American citizen demands the truth.

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#16)
    by john horse on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:34 PM EST
    Ever since the Reagan administration, we have witnessed the growth of symbolic politics, especially among Republicans. This is the belief that image is more important than reality. As a matter of fact it is the belief that people will substitute the image for reality. For example, people will remember the photo-op in front of a vet center more than they will remember that the administration cut funding for the center a month later. What the Bush administration is afraid of is that these photos and videos will provide images that will challenge the carefully constructed facade that they are trying to project. The Bush administration cannot allow images that reflect reality like the Abu Ghraib photos and videos to be publically displayed.

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#17)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:34 PM EST
    blag said -"Sorry, got carried away with the snark...but where's Rush? " Like I said, the rnc talking points aren't out yet;-) Where are all the repubs shouting 'rule of law!, rule of law!' now?

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:34 PM EST
    And still yet no word on this topic from the resident rightwingers...maybe they'd also like to take a stab at the recent findings of child rape and torture at Abu Ghraib that this Admin is trying to keep secret: http://watchingthewatchers.org/story/2005/7/23/121327/078 I predict crickets...

    Re: Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu G (none / 0) (#19)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:34 PM EST
    "The Bush administration cannot allow images that reflect reality like the Abu Ghraib photos and videos to be publically displayed." You left out "...in this market." Because these atrocities were intentionally-made (ordered) ADVERTISEMENT for intimidation of innocent civilians (a form of TERRORISM). It is a definite pair with Shock & Awe (otherwise known as Blitzkrieg). Shock & Awe, torture and imprisonment, these are a natural continuity for the genocide and collective-guilt theory these traitors are practicing. Television helped end Vietnam, because the REAL evidence of their acts disgusts true Americans. The warcrimes will not be televized? Television is to the Vietnam invasion as the Internet is to the Iraq invasion. Knowledge is power.

    Administration Resists Order to Disclose Abu Ghraib Pictures | 19 comments (19 topical)