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Kristol: Obama to Reverse on Release of Detainee Treatment Photos?
The Blog @ TWS ^ | May 12, 2009 | William Kristol

Posted on 05/12/2009 4:06:23 PM PDT by Sergeant Tim

From White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs’s press briefing today:

Q ... Is this something that is being considered, by the president, for reversal? Or is this the policy that will go forward? And does he have any anxiety about the potential consequences of the release of these photographs?

MR. GIBBS: Well, obviously the president has great concern about any impact that pictures of potential detainee abuse, in the past, could have on the present-day service members that are protecting our freedom either in Iraq, Afghanistan or throughout the world. That's something the president is very cognizant of. And we are working to -- we are working currently to figure out what the process is, moving forward.

Q Does that mean the decision could be reversed?

MR. GIBBS: I don't want to get into that right now.

Q So you can't commit either way.

MR. GIBBS: I'm not going to add much to that right now.

This sounds to me as if the president is getting ready to reverse the decision of his Justice Department. I expect him to announce, perhaps citing his discussions today with General Odierno and Ambassador Chris Hill, that he’s decided it would be damaging to our soldiers and the nation to release these photos. At the very least, Obama will order an appeal of the 2nd Circuit decision that required that the photos be released. I wouldn’t be surprised if he went even further and took Andy McCarthy’s suggestion and issued an executive order exempting such photos from FOIA requests.

The Obama DOJ is full of left-wing ideologues. But however much President Obama might sympathize with them, he puts his political self-preservation first. And he knows that, however controversial the release of the OLC memos was, the backlash to the release of these photos would be far greater. The release of photos is less justifiable than that of memos in terms of the public’s right to know, soldiers are more popular than lawyers, and this wouldn’t be a (however distasteful) assault on the actions of a previous administration--this would be a gratuitous assault on the well-being and the reputation of our fighting men and women.

Look for the Obama reversal on the photos as early as tomorrow.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: abusephotos; afghanistan; andymccarthy; iraq; justicedepartment; military; obama; robertgibb; torture; whitehousepress; williamkristol; wot

1 posted on 05/12/2009 4:06:23 PM PDT by Sergeant Tim
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To: Sergeant Tim

His political well being. Pah!

Not a word about his notion that Abu Ghraib inspired new terrorist recruitment but that, for the pleasure of trying to destroy the previous administration, he would do what he condemns.

This is a man with no shame.

He makes Bubba’s morals look worthy of canonization.


2 posted on 05/12/2009 4:11:30 PM PDT by StAntKnee (I keep thinking I'm gonna wake up from this dream theatre of the absurd.)
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To: Sergeant Tim

All Obama statements have a time limit.......Friggin ROOKIE......Sadly the only people we have in the “Bull-Pen” are WORSE than this stupid punk....


3 posted on 05/12/2009 4:12:20 PM PDT by jakerobins
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To: StAntKnee
He makes Bubba’s morals look worthy of canonization.

I told my Rat boss recently that you Rats have done what I thought was impossible: made me miss Bill Clinton.

4 posted on 05/12/2009 4:14:11 PM PDT by Marathoner (The dream: 1-20-2013, hearing "I, Sarah Heath Palin, do solemnly swear...")
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To: Sergeant Tim

[sigh]

I miss having adults in charge.


5 posted on 05/12/2009 4:14:58 PM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
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To: Sergeant Tim
...could have on the present-day service members that are protecting our freedom either in Iraq, Afghanistan or throughout the world...

Gee, now they're protecting our freedom... I thought they were there simply to amuse Bush by murdering innocent civilians (and to steal oil, make money for Haliburton, etc.). My, when did this change occur?

6 posted on 05/12/2009 4:17:40 PM PDT by Cementjungle
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The focus groups must have reported back to Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod. Instead, the photos will be leaked so as to satisfy the anti-American left...


7 posted on 05/12/2009 4:19:15 PM PDT by eureka! (Elections have consequences, boy howdy. *sigh*)
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To: Cementjungle
Maybe Barry is learning that he ain't really Barack America after all.
8 posted on 05/12/2009 4:19:40 PM PDT by Sergeant Tim (In the War on Terror, there is no place to run from here.)
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To: Sergeant Tim

“MR. GIBBS: I don’t want to get into that right now.”

Military and others defend federal folks’ physical bodies with their lives.

I guess some feds need to be reminded of this.


9 posted on 05/12/2009 4:27:23 PM PDT by combat_boots (When the government controls the captial, all that is left is tyranny. Tagline by Redwarning.)
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To: Sergeant Tim

He’s backtracking. Must have had a look at the pictures and recognized Larry Sinclair.


10 posted on 05/12/2009 4:29:24 PM PDT by BlueStateBlues (Blue State business, Red State heart. . . . .Palin 2012----can't come soon enough!)
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To: BlueStateBlues

Does the fact that Natzi Pissonya can’t win in this area have anything to do with not going any further with their trumped up charges?


11 posted on 05/12/2009 4:34:22 PM PDT by TribalPrincess2U (The plan... 0 in power for life. At least that's what they told him.)
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To: Sergeant Tim

“.... he puts his political self-preservation first.”

Well... yeeeah! People would keep asking, “So, when are you going to release the rest of those Air Force One flyover photos?” And, “We paid how much for those again and who was on that flight anyway?”


12 posted on 05/12/2009 4:34:56 PM PDT by retrogo
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To: Cementjungle
Gee, now they're protecting our freedom... I thought they were there simply to amuse Bush by murdering innocent civilians (and to steal oil, make money for Haliburton, etc.). My, when did this change occur?

Liberal democrats (more than one) have told me they wish Bush was still in office, this after they voted for Obama. It's the unrelenting dirty deeds being done (with media assistance - so they've switched to Fox News) that some liberals have become aware are destructive to them, their families and to this nation. All those Obama voters who've lost lobs, have reduced hours, or work from day to day not knowing if they'll have a job tomorrow - aren't real happy with the "change" they're seeing.

13 posted on 05/12/2009 4:36:13 PM PDT by MamaDearest
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To: Sergeant Tim

maybe he realized he would look like a douche releasing that top secret info and not releasing the Air Farce One flyover info.


14 posted on 05/12/2009 4:37:01 PM PDT by edzo4 (NoBama 2012)
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To: Sergeant Tim

UnAmerican bastard.


15 posted on 05/12/2009 4:43:11 PM PDT by roses of sharon
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To: Sergeant Tim

The ACLU and the RATs always try to portray the country in the worst light possible. Part of their “Destroy America” tour.


16 posted on 05/12/2009 5:03:57 PM PDT by Conan the Conservative (Crush the liberals, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the hippies.)
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To: StAntKnee

This would be absolute proof of playing politics with national security


17 posted on 05/12/2009 5:06:36 PM PDT by dila813
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To: Sergeant Tim

Maybe Obama read today’s NRO column:

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YzkxYTE3ODI4YjAyOWY2YTUyMmJkOTAxZGZlOWZmMjg=


18 posted on 05/12/2009 5:15:30 PM PDT by Signalman
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To: StAntKnee
He makes Bubba’s morals look worthy of canonization.

Yep, even Ted Kennedy's big/little murder looks clean comparatively

19 posted on 05/12/2009 5:59:08 PM PDT by Karliner (Things are more like they are now than they have ever been before. DDE)
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To: MamaDearest

> aren’t real happy with the “change” they’re seeing.

LOL! Tell em that they still have Hope!


20 posted on 05/12/2009 6:04:38 PM PDT by bill1952 (Power is an illusion created between those with power - and those without)
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