Bush Administration blocks release of Abu Ghraib photos

[PDittie]

Booman Tribune:

These photos, from the CD provided to U.S. Army officials by Army reservist Joseph Darby in April 2004, were ordered to be released -- by a federal judge -- today.

July 22, 2005, New York, NY—The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) today denounced the latest efforts of the Bush Administration to block the release of the Darby photos and videos depicting torture at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib. (...)
In June, the government ... received an extension from the judge stating that they needed time in order to redact the photographs and videos. They were given until today at the eleventh hour filed a motion ... based on an entirely new argument 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. (HUH?)

“This is absolutely unacceptable,” stated Michael Ratner, President of CCR. “We cannot move forward from this scandal until we have a full public accounting and independent investigation into what happened at Abu Ghraib. The government cannot continue to hide evidence of torture.”

[Goldmund]

1. Hey, if they're going to be indicted for treason,

what's a few contempt of court charges more or less?

[Oreo]

2. To protect the physical safety of individuals...

that they tortured mercilessly??

[krkaufman]

21. No, I expect they'll say that they're trying to protect the soldiers...

... in Iraq and Afghanistan, and civilians in those countries, as well, citing the riots (supposedly) related to the Newsweek "Koran desecration" snippet.

[swag]

3. Here is 7(f)

http://www.usdoj.gov/oip/exemption7f.htm

[mrdmk]

4. Oh yes they can, and have been for Five Years now.

All in the name of National Security. :hide:

Lets see LMSM cover this one!:rofl:

[Check12]

5. We need to make sure MSM boneheads get this out

Here is Gator's diary at dKos, there is a medio blaster coment there.

http://info.dailykos.com/story/2005/7/22/145929/449

What are the consequences of this for the government?

[dalaigh lllama]

6. Well, of course!

"To protect the physical safety of individuals." Namely, to protect their own butts.

[swag]

9. Hm, they must be claiming something under this:

"Now, in the current post-September 11, 2001 homeland security environment, Exemption 7(F) provides vital new avenues of protection for sensitive information that could prove deadly if obtained by those seeking to do harm to the public on a large scale"

[Rex]

7. Bad timing

So they will use legal trickery to keep them from public view.

[Kraklen]

8. Contempt of court?

I suspect this will start a new scandal in and of itself.

[donkeyotay]

10. Protecting "individuals" or themselves and their policies?

Understandable that these pictures could stir up more anger and that our troops could face its consequences. But what is corrupt is that the people responsible for creating this situation are not being held accountable. We really need more transparency and accountability in our government. They're hiding behind the skirts of the WOT.

[LizW]

11. Wow. The photos and videos must be truly horrifying.

And when they finally do come out, everyone is going to understand why the WH went to such incredible lengths to keep the public from seeing them.

They may be able to delay the inevitable, but these photos will come out. The closer to the 2006 congressional elections, the better, I say.

Bushco may have just installed the House Democratic majority that ensures their impeachment.

[GreenPartyVoter]

20. Wonder why they haven't been "leaked" yet.

[progressoid]

12. Well, geee wiz. Color me shocked.

This administration tries to block information from becoming public? That's a first. :sarcasm:

[paula777]

13. Doesn't say how long it will be extended. Anyone know?

[Hubert Flottz]

14. They out a CIA agent...

Act to withhold law enforcement-related information in order to protect the physical safety of individuals.

[Not Me]

15. Someone's gotta leak them.

I think we will seem them---sooner rather than later.

[DistressedAmerican]

16. Saturday Night Massacre! Fire Archibald Cox!!!

I Am enraged...AGAIN!!!

[bluestateguy]

17. And now it's time for an "I told you so" moment, by bluestateguy

Just a good ole' boys
Never meaning no harm

cut

They're just a good ole' boys
Wouldn't change if they could

Powerful white men protect and take care of other powerful white men in positions of power.

Those of you who actually thought those pictures would be released today are exposed for the naive fools that you are.

[tavalon]

26. I did think the ACLU had it locked up

but this shows that I wasn't paying near enough attention.

I've been busy with memos and leaks.

[indepat]

18. Shockingly unbelievable but totally anticipated

[CottonBear]

19. Doesn't Seymour Hersch have some of the photos?

Can he legally release them? If not, could he leak them?

[ComerPerro]

22. I'm sorry, maybe I'm feeling rather cynical now, but this is hilarious

I am just not suprised at all.

Did anyone actually believe that we would be seeing these photos anytime soon?

Did anyone expect some degree of transparency or honesty?

[Disturbed]

23. I am surprised that they still exist.

I thought that a statement would come out that these photos and videos accidently got burned or shredded. What could anyone do about that if they had?

[ComerPerro]

24. Or that they never existed in the first place

That is, a statement from the administration that the photos never existed, and were an invention of liberals and the media trying to slander Bush.

[tavalon]

27. No

I thought the ACLU had forced their hand - had it locked up legally. But as I said in another post, I wasn't paying near enough attention to this one.

You know how when someone close to you dies, you have moments, fleeting moments when you forget that they are dead until it slams you upside the head again and the grief once again becomes shrill? This is how I feel about America and her slide into fascism. I was relying on a concept of rule of law that doesn't exist anymore. I momentarily forgot about the death of America that I've had a ringside seat to for the last few years.

[CrispyQ]

29. Nicely put -- about the death of America.

I feel the same way. This is not the country I grew up in.

[JRob]

25. of course they are...

They're pulling so much shit, on so many levels that it makes my mind numb...

We're being smothered by it.

[mrdmk]

28. The ACLU put a story up on their Web Site

It does not state what their plans are to contend the governments position.

link
http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=18811&c=206