Posted on 05/13/2009 10:00:18 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Obama reverses on releasing photos
As Democrats appear to be feeling the limits of national security politics, President Obama has reversed course and will object to the court-ordered release of photos depicting the abuse of detainees.
An official explains, on background:
Last week, the President met with his legal team and told them that he did not feel comfortable with the release of the DOD photos because he believes their release would endanger our troops, and because he believes that the national security implications of such a release have not been fully presented to the court.
At the end of that meeting, the President directed his counsel to object to the immediate release of the photos on those grounds.
Yesterday, during a meeting at the White House, the President raised the issue of these photos with General Odierno and told him of his decision to argue against this release.
Through his actions from the first days of his administration, the President has made it clear that the United States will hold itself and all the men and women who serve our country to the highest standards of conduct.
The President would be the last to excuse the actions depicted in these photos. That is why the Department of Defense investigated these cases, and why individuals have been punished through prison sentences, discharges, and a range of other punitive measures. But the President strongly believes that the release of these photos, particularly at this time, would only serve the purpose of inflaming the theaters of war, jeopardizing US forces, and making our job more difficult in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Associated Press is reporting that President Obama has changed his mind and decided to oppose the release of photos showing alleged abuse of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan,
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell had said military commanders had raised concernsabout the release. Some lawmakers had also objected, saying the release would only aid al-Qaeda propaganda efforts.
The Justice Department had told a federal judge it would not oppose release of 44 photos at issue in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union. The photos are slated for release by May 28.
Press secretary Robert Gibbs will likely provide more at his briefing, scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Way to go CHENEY!!! God, how I wish Cheney were our POTUS!
How long ‘till the Moonbats scream for the Messiah’s head over this? After all, He promised!
This is, of course, the least likely explanation.
Some of the damage has been done, all in his plan to trash America, its military, our missions in two theaters, and the Bush Administration, ie, all patriots.
Just another day in the make-it-up-as-you-go-along presidency.
Maybe he’s worried the photos will show such shocking abuses such as:
Men in handcuffs.
Men in a cell.
Men being fed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Men being forced to take a bath (with soap no less.)
In other words, maybe what he is really worried abouot is the pictures won’t look (to the average American) like someone being tortured/mistreated, but rather similar to the treatment someone gets in prison.
Yep Cheney’s fault ... LOL
The wheels are really starting to come off the cart now...
And, like it or not, he'll be held responsible for its conduct.
Bump to the top!
Obama believes their release would endanger his popularity numbers and slow down his socialist takeover of our United States.
The story was entirely believable up until this line.
His actions to date tell us that his first instinct is always to go for the grand gesture; and then he backtracks once his actions turn out to be stupid.
You can be sure that if we can notice that tendency, it will also be noticed by clever folks who want to take advantage of this characteristic in order to make him do something really stupid. Iran, for example, or Russia.
It would be the same game Hitler played with Neville Chamberlain....
bump
I’m wondering...did anyone in the RNC even ask him?
Way to go Cheney!
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