Posted on 07/23/2005 6:59:19 PM PDT by greatglory
NEW YORK So what is shown on the 87 photographs and four videos from Abu Ghraib prison that the Pentagon, in an eleventh hour move, blocked from release this weekend? One clue: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told Congress last year, after viewing a large cache of unreleased images: "I mean, I looked at them last night, and they're hard to believe.” They show acts "that can only be described as blatantly sadistic, cruel and inhumane," he added.
A Republican Senator suggested the same day they contained scenes of “rape and murder.” No wonder Rumsfeld commented then, "If these are released to the public, obviously it's going to make matters worse."
Yesterday, news emerged that lawyers for the Pentagon had refused to cooperate with a federal judge's order to release dozens of unseen photographs and videos from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq by Saturday. The photos were among thousands turned over by the key “whistleblower” in the scandal, Specialist Joseph M. Darby. Just a few that were released to the press sparked the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal last year, and the video images are said to be even more shocking.
The Pentagon lawyers said in a letter sent to the federal court in Manhattan that they would file a sealed brief explaining their reasons for not turning over the material. They had been ordered to do so by a federal judge in response to a FOIA lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU accused the government Friday of putting another legal roadblock in the way of its bid to allow the public to see the images of the prisoner abuse scandal.
One Pentagon lawyer has argued that they should not be released because they would only add to the humiliation of the prisoners. But the ACLU has said the faces of the victims can easily be "redacted."
To get a sense of what may be shown in these images, one has to go back to press reports from when the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal was still front page news.
This is how CNN reported it on May 8, 2004, in a typical account that day:
“U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld revealed Friday that videos and ‘a lot more pictures’ exist of the abuse of Iraqis held at Abu Ghraib prison.
"’If these are released to the public, obviously it's going to make matters worse,’ Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee. ‘I mean, I looked at them last night, and they're hard to believe.’
“The embattled defense secretary fielded sharp and skeptical questions from lawmakers as he testified about the growing prisoner abuse scandal. A military report about that abuse describes detainees being threatened, sodomized with a chemical light and forced into sexually humiliating poses.
“Charges have been brought against seven service members, and investigations into events at the prison continue.
“Military investigators have looked into -- or are continuing to investigate -- 35 cases of alleged abuse or deaths of prisoners in detention facilities in the Central Command theater, according to Army Secretary Les Brownlee. Two of those cases were deemed homicides, he said.
"’The American public needs to understand we're talking about rape and murder here. We're not just talking about giving people a humiliating experience,’ Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told reporters after Rumsfeld testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee. ’We're talking about rape and murder -- and some very serious charges.’
“A report by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba on the abuse at the prison outside Baghdad says videotapes and photographs show naked detainees, and that groups of men were forced to masturbate while being photographed and videotaped. Taguba also found evidence of a ‘male MP guard having sex with a female detainee.’
“Rumsfeld told Congress the unrevealed photos and videos contain acts 'that can only be described as blatantly sadistic, cruel and inhuman.’”
The military later screened some of the images for lawmakers, who said they showed, among other things, attack dogs snarling at cowed prisoners, Iraqi women forced to expose their breasts, and naked prisoners forced to have sex with each other.
In the same period, reporter Seymour Hersh, who helped uncover the scandal, said in a speech before an ACLU convention: “Some of the worse that happened that you don't know about, ok? Videos, there are women there. Some of you may have read they were passing letters, communications out to their men….The women were passing messages saying ‘Please come and kill me, because of what's happened.’
“Basically what happened is that those women who were arrested with young boys/children in cases that have been recorded. The boys were sodomized with the cameras rolling. The worst about all of them is the soundtrack of the boys shrieking that your government has. They are in total terror it's going to come out.”
You're right. While I don't condone cruelty, and there probably should be checks & balances, I find it hard to sympathize with any of these prisoners. I can't tell the army what to do -- not when they're out trying to preserve our freedom & security.
Remember, people, these prisoners killed innocent civilians.
For me it's not the terrorist that goes through the process that concerns me. My concern is focused on the liklihood that some innocents will get swept up and placed into the que for interrogation.
Perhaps my fear of this is unfounded. It may be that the process prevents this. I would certainly hope so. I do believe there is only so me we can do to prevent it though.
I try to put a severe clamp on this second guessing from stateside. Our men deserve our support. People would have to go a long ways to convince me our men are in improper ways.
For the record, I do not consider it to be torture, for men to have to wear their shorts on their head.
Don't those people have lives?
I guess not.
Hmmm...are you Greatglory's trolling buddy?
I believe in honor.
There is no honor in rape. This issue needs to be put to rest so that we can proceed with the real fight against those who hate us.
wouldn't releasing the photos confirm the story?
If the story is true, they should be executed.
Maybe I missed it but if the government sequestered the images and not one of us has seen it how did the writer learn of it and why hasn't the writer released them?
Exactly. Was it purely speculation on Seymour Hersch's part?
It's interesting how assertions made by journalists are rarely challenged by other journalists (especially if it's a room full of Libbies).
Sounds like a group of homosexuals intentionally meant to tarnish the military, I'll bet it leads back to some RAT pol like Barney Frank or Hitlery Clinton. 10 to 1 I'm right on target.
I don't think you're for real.
Why's that?
Well, that sucks. I can't believe someone would do something like this just to score stupid points on DU.
Once burnt=careful in future. Thanks for pointing it out. I feel like an idiot but it's better to know and learn.
You'll never know.
The rumor may be worst than the actual facts - however, can't disprove the alleged "incidents", now can they.
When did one stop beating their wife, indeed.
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