Judge Orders Release of Abu Ghraib Photos

Judge Orders Release of Abu Ghraib Photos
September 30, 2005 4:25 AM EDT

NEW YORK - Photographs showing U.S. soldiers tormenting Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison tarnished America's reputation when they were released last year, with some critics of the U.S.-led occupation citing the scandal as vindication.

On Thursday, a federal judge ordered the release of dozens more pictures of abuse from the infamous Baghdad prison - potentially opening the military up to more embarrassment from a scandal that already has stirred outrage around the world.

U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein rejected government arguments that the images would provoke terrorists and incite violence against U.S. troops in Iraq.

He said terrorists "do not need pretexts for their barbarism" and that suppressing the pictures would amount to submitting to blackmail.

"Our nation does not surrender to blackmail, and fear of blackmail is not a legally sufficient argument to prevent us from performing a statutory command. Indeed, the freedoms that we champion are as important to our success in Iraq and Afghanistan as the guns and missiles with which our troops are armed," he said.

The 74 photographs covered by ruling were taken by a soldier; three videotapes also were ordered released. A military policeman who saw the photos turned them over to the Army. Some may be duplicates of photos already seen by the public.

An appeal of Hellerstein's ruling was expected, which could delay release of the pictures for months.

Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. Central Command, said releasing the photos would hinder his work against terrorism.

"When we continue to pick at the wound and show the pictures over and over again it just creates the image - a false image - like this is the sort of stuff that is happening anew, and it's not," Abizaid said.

The American Civil Liberties Union sought release of the photographs and videotapes as part of an October 2003 lawsuit demanding information on the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody and the transfer of prisoners to countries known to use torture. The ACLU contends that prisoner abuse is systemic.

"It's a historic ruling, said ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero. "While no one wants to see what's on the photos or videos, they will play an essential role in holding our government leaders accountable for the torture that's happened on their watch."

Bridget F. Kelly, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan, said her office was reviewing the ruling and considering its options.

Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had argued in court papers that releasing the photographs would aid al-Qaida recruitment, weaken the Afghan and Iraqi governments and incite riots against American troops.

But the judge said his task is not to "defer to our worst fears, but to interpret and apply the law, in this case, the Freedom of Information Act, which advances values important to our society, transparency and accountability in government."

The ACLU had sought the release of 87 photographs and four videotapes altogether. The judge viewed the pictures and videotapes and ordered some of them edited. Romero said those images apparently contained so many redactions that they would have been unintelligible.

The judge said the pictures were important because they were the best evidence of what happened at the prison.

Howdy Y'all,

I hope and pray,that the appeal of this crap is forthcoming and stops it in it's tracks. If this is allowed to proceed,then more people will die,including more of our soldiers,who would not have died otherwise,every death as a result,will be on the judge's head.

The insanity of liberal thinking is,is that if one soldier does something wrong--then all soldiers should be punished. The anti-wars,desire nothing less,than the complete and total failure of the Iraq war,and a return to despotism and instability, across the whole region.

This has little,if anything-to do with freedom of information..it's all about attacking the Bush admin and dooming millions of folks to the loss of what few freedoms they have. The anti-wars have their freedom and believe that if one is not already free,then it's a part of their 'culture'..and must not be interferred with..bullshit ! To put all of our troops in danger like this,is a betrayal..that translates into traitorism.

Have a good one ...

perhaps they will make some more of those great club gitmo t-shirts with pictures this time?

i want the one with the guy wearing the black outfit and fake electrodes on his hands....priceless.it should be followed by the sentence,"i joined the jihad and all i got was this free koran and prayer rug?"

I don't understand the logic that says withholding information from the public to "protect them" is better than relying on their own judgment. You are so content at calling everyone stupid. It is really quite offensive.

I don't see the need to pussyfoot around the issues by advocating censorship.

Our Image has already been damage, Everyone but the american people have seen them pictures. Its are right 2 see what this Criminal Gov't is hiding, because them soilders wouldnt do that if someone from the top did not tell them 2 do it maybe it will cause riots in the states, maybe it help bring home the troops and arrest the criminals in DC. I bet if it was a democrat
gov't you be like thats are freedom 2 see them pictures, tell me u wouldnt. The Iraq people have known what the American troops have done 2 its people so I not care about them, its are people im worried about,. What will americans do when they see them pictures maybe they all just go back to watching TV and act like nothing happen.

Maybe we need 2 abort every republican and the crime rate would go down

So you think photographs showing U.S. soldiers tormenting Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison will incite Muslims to violence? Theyâ??re certainly pissed off about this site:

http://www.nowthatsfuckedup.com/

U.S. Army Ends Probe on Porn Site Photos of Iraq Corpses
By Will Dunham
Republished from Reuters/Alertnet
Thu, 29 Sep 2005 14:52:26 -0700

Move along, nothing to see here.

The U.S. Army after a brief inquiry has failed to determine whether U.S. soldiers provided grisly photos of people killed in the Iraq war to a porn Web site in exchange for free access to it, officials said on Wednesday

The numerous graphic pictures posted on the Web site showed men, with their faces visible and wearing what looked like U.S. military uniforms, standing over a charred corpse, mutilated dead bodies and severed body parts.

The porn Web site states the photos were provided by troops in Iraq as well as Afghanistan in order to get free access to its sexual images. Many of the photos, still posted on the site, are accompanied by captions making light of the corpses; for example one photo of a charred body was dubbed â??Cooked Iraqi.â?�

The Army Criminal Investigation Command in Iraq conducted the preliminary inquiry within the past week but closed it after concluding no felony crime had been committed and failing to determine whether U.S. soldiers were responsible for the photos and whether they showed actual war dead, Army officials said.

Col. Joe Curtin, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon, said there currently was no formal investigation into the matter.

â??Weâ??re not blowing this off,â?� Curtin said. â??If the Army thinks itâ??s in its interest to investigate something, we will. There are multiple challenges here. One is the anonymity of the sources, dates, times, locations, units, anything that is reasonably identifiable that we can work off of.â?�

This controversy over the photographs involving U.S. military personnel comes a year and a half after other pictures taken by U.S. soldiers became public in April 2004 showing them abusing and sexually humiliating Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib jail, a scandal that prompted international condemnation of the United States.

â??CURSORY INVESTIGATIONâ??

The Washington-based Muslim civil rights group Council on American-Islamic Relations, which had called for an investigation into the allegations of photos of corpses swapped for pornography, called the probe insufficient.

â??Itâ??s entirely inappropriate for the military to do such a cursory investigation of something that is really casting a very negative light on our nationâ??s military and can only serve to further damage Americaâ??s image and interests throughout the Islamic world,â?� said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the group.

Hooper said the military must determine who was involved and whether the conduct violated U.S. military law and international laws governing conduct during wartime, including the Geneva Conventions.

Curtin said the Army was not ruling out the possibility of opening a formal criminal investigation. â??Any time new information becomes available thatâ??s credible, yes, they potentially could reopen the case,â?� he said.

The Web site separates the corpse pictures from its sexual images. According to an article in the Online Journalism Review of the Annenberg School for Communications at the University of Southern California, the siteâ??s owner, Chris Wilson, lives in Lakeland, Florida, but hosts the site out of Amsterdam. The article quotes Wilson as saying the siteâ??s images of nude female U.S. soldiers in Iraq and photos of war dead provide a â??rawâ?� account of war.

Officials said that while the Armyâ??s preliminary inquiry had determined no felony act had taken place, soldiers potentially could be punished for conduct unbecoming a soldier, which generally brings administrative sanctions.

Without confirming the authenticity of the photos or who took them, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said, â??This does not represent the values of the United States military, and doesnâ??t represent the vast majority of the actions and behavior of our men and women in uniform. It is a despicable practice. Itâ??s unacceptable. And the department is going to address it.â?�

Curtin said the military was examining policies, procedures and legal implications of how soldiers transmit photos from the battlefield, and could consider limiting troopsâ?? use of their own personal computers or cameras in a combat zone.

â??The military must be very careful in not violating an individualâ??s First Amendment rights,â?� Curtin said, referring to the constitutional right of free expression.

â??Soldiers encounter the horrors of war, and they are able to record it,â?� Curtin said. â??You mix it with the porn site, now you muddy the waters.â?�

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker on Wednesday sent a message about â??Internet Safetyâ?� to U.S. soldiers, but focused on restrictions on images that could compromise operational security on the battlefield. Curtin said the message was unrelated to the corpse photos.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Torog

Howdy Y'all,

I hope and pray,that the appeal of this crap is forthcoming and stops it in it's tracks. If this is allowed to proceed,then more people will die,including more of our soldiers,who would not have died otherwise,every death as a result,will be on the judge's head.

The insanity of liberal thinking is,is that if one soldier does something wrong--then all soldiers should be punished. The anti-wars,desire nothing less,than the complete and total failure of the Iraq war,and a return to despotism and instability, across the whole region.

This has little,if anything-to do with freedom of information..it's all about attacking the Bush admin and dooming millions of folks to the loss of what few freedoms they have. The anti-wars have their freedom and believe that if one is not already free,then it's a part of their 'culture'..and must not be interferred with..bullshit ! To put all of our troops in danger like this,is a betrayal..that translates into traitorism.

Have a good one ...

---

Your hopes and prayers apparently are crap, it is all going to come out in the wash, and no matter how much you scream, cry, and stomp your little feet, you will pay for this and other atrocities committed in the name of your God and your false freedom.
The war in Iraq is already a failure, "there is no right way to do a wrong thing".
you are a traitor, anyone who thinks like you are traitors to liberty and freedom, you fight,die, and kill innocents defending your ignorance.

Howdy Torog,

i reckon you believe in the army dont you? dont you feel proud thinking of the heroic men who fought to uphold our freedoms those many decades ago?

well then how come you're so willing to let it go down the trash like that? you really want to excuse such wanton and depraved behaviour?

it wasn't enough to even hear a rumour of abu ghraib mistreatment? you didnt demand action from your congressman? you excused it because the enemy was getting what they deserved?

some patriot you are.

Oh no! Pictures show the truth that the U.S. military isn't an army of angels bringing love and peace and happiness to the world! Panic! Suppress! Censor!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hempity

Your hopes and prayers apparently are crap, it is all going to come out in the wash, and no matter how much you scream, cry, and stomp your little feet, you will pay for this and other atrocities committed in the name of your God and your false freedom.
The war in Iraq is already a failure, "there is no right way to do a wrong thing".
you are a traitor, anyone who thinks like you are traitors to liberty and freedom, you fight,die, and kill innocents defending your ignorance.

---

Howdy hempity,

First off..I don't throw hissy fits like a child-and I don't have little feet..I wear size 12,steel-toed,RedWing boots.

God will judge those who have sinned and they will pay for those sins,they are few in number,compared to those who have not committed atrocities,the majority of our soldiers,are good folks..who simply want others to be as blessed as they are.

You presume that those who perish,are all innocent..when such is not the case..ie,the enemy is innocent..but we are all guilty because of the crimes of our ancestors..those who oppose America-can do no wrong in yer eyes.

Have a good one ...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nicholasstanko

Howdy Torog,

i reckon you believe in the army dont you? dont you feel proud thinking of the heroic men who fought to uphold our freedoms those many decades ago?

well then how come you're so willing to let it go down the trash like that? you really want to excuse such wanton and depraved behaviour?

it wasn't enough to even hear a rumour of abu ghraib mistreatment? you didnt demand action from your congressman? you excused it because the enemy was getting what they deserved?

some patriot you are.

---

Howdy nicholas,

Nope..I don't want to excuse any criminal behaviour,but the arab media will portray all of our soldiers as being criminals..when in fact-the majority of our soldiers..are some of the finest folks on God's Green Earth.

I will never excuse that type of behaviour..even the enemy doesn't deserve such..even tho they have commited far worse and continue to do so-on a daily basis.

Why is it-that you excuse the atrocities,committed on a daily basis,by the enemy ? Why is it-that you excuse them from cold-blooded murder,rape and torture ? Because of yer hatred for Bush and America ?

Have a good one ...

I have absolutely no problem beating the hell out of people that wish me dead

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Torog

Howdy nicholas,

Nope..I don't want to excuse any criminal behaviour,but the arab media will portray all of our soldiers as being criminals..when in fact-the majority of our soldiers..are some of the finest folks on God's Green Earth.

so what about the american media portraying all jihadists and "insurgents" (i quoted that because its a made-up word seeking to demonise...kinda like marijuana) as freedom-hating extremists? You dont think POSSIBLY just a few...hundred of them are scared of american imperialism and are fighting to protect their home? Also, i say if there was no torture then there would be no fuel to add to al-jazeera's fire.

I will never excuse that type of behaviour..even the enemy doesn't deserve such..even tho they have commited far worse and continue to do so-on a daily basis.

You already have excused that type of behaviour. Abu ghraib? hello? torture? hello? debates on mainstream media about whether or not torture is okay? hello? i havnt seen a single post of yours proclaiming your disgust about random people being victimised.

Why is it-that you excuse the atrocities,committed on a daily basis,by the enemy ? Why is it-that you excuse them from cold-blooded murder,rape and torture ? Because of yer hatred for Bush and America ?

i DONT excuse torture...on anybodys part. im very adamant about americans and canadians torturing the "enemy" because i know how easily things come back around to haunt people. You honestly think that america will never be privy to captured soldiers? foreign invasion? you're a damn fool (respectively speaking of course). You think they behead people on videotape just for kicks (a splendid manipulation by the way)?

Have a good one ...

---

Torog, you can't justify torture while proclaiming to love freedom. Its an oxymoron of sorts.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Torog

Howdy hempity,

First off..I don't throw hissy fits like a child-and I don't have little feet..I wear size 12,steel-toed,RedWing boots.

God will judge those who have sinned and they will pay for those sins,they are few in number,compared to those who have not committed atrocities,the majority of our soldiers,are good folks..who simply want others to be as blessed as they are.

You presume that those who perish,are all innocent..when such is not the case..ie,the enemy is innocent..but we are all guilty because of the crimes of our ancestors..those who oppose America-can do no wrong in yer eyes.

Have a good one ...

---

well Turog,
you have been around a while, so i will take the time for this, however, i am still am not convinced that you are not a government spook, hard to believe anyone could pretend this much ignorance.

first off, to me you have little feet, i have not worn size twelve since i was 11 or so, all my footwear now is made, mostly moccasins, for my size i have a light tread and want it so.
i had to have my leathers made, by Jackie Langlitz in portland oregon, she is such a doll, made a full set for me in 3 days.
so size to me is an hindrance, for clothes,shoes, even fitting in cars, i feel like i am wearing them.

remember "the greatest warrior never fights, his battles are all won"

i just figured, since your beloved president threw tantrums, it was something all you patriots did.

the majority of your soldiers are frightened children, we get daily head counts of the ones killed, and they are all so very young.
having shot at, and been shot at, i know how scared they really are.

it is strange for someone who is told what to eat, drink, smoke, wear and say can feel blessed in that, and then to force it on others.
the u.s. has carried the standard of freedom for many years, it has become a mantle of ignorance and lies, either clean it up or pass it on.

i am just a voice in a growing choir, more everyday are seeing the yanks for what they really are.
tell me patriot, what in the world is the difference between,

"let me see some ID"
and
"show us your papers"

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hempity

well Turog,
you have been around a while, so i will take the time for this, however, i am still am not convinced that you are not a government spook, hard to believe anyone could pretend this much ignorance.

first off, to me you have little feet, i have not worn size twelve since i was 11 or so, all my footwear now is made, mostly moccasins, for my size i have a light tread and want it so.
i had to have my leathers made, by Jackie Langlitz in portland oregon, she is such a doll, made a full set for me in 3 days.
so size to me is an hindrance, for clothes,shoes, even fitting in cars, i feel like i am wearing them.

remember "the greatest warrior never fights, his battles are all won"

i just figured, since your beloved president threw tantrums, it was something all you patriots did.

the majority of your soldiers are frightened children, we get daily head counts of the ones killed, and they are all so very young.
having shot at, and been shot at, i know how scared they really are.

it is strange for someone who is told what to eat, drink, smoke, wear and say can feel blessed in that, and then to force it on others.
the u.s. has carried the standard of freedom for many years, it has become a mantle of ignorance and lies, either clean it up or pass it on.

i am just a voice in a growing choir, more everyday are seeing the yanks for what they really are.
tell me patriot, what in the world is the difference between,

"let me see some ID"
and
"show us your papers"

---

Howdy hempity,

Thanx for taking the time to respond to me.

Well it sounds like ya must be a pretty big feller,if ya ain't worn size 12 shoes since you were 11 years old..and cars are too small for ya. Us patriots know that throwing a tantrum doesn't do much good,we prefer quiet,determined resolve..to git-r-done.

Every soldier,no matter their age,experiences fear at some point-it's only natural..but I'd say that for the most part,even our young soldiers are very brave and simply desire freedom for others,not just for themselves.

There ain't no one telling me what to eat or wear,I make all of them choices by myself..that society has crafted laws and regulations,that urge us what to do,and sometimes punish us for our choices,does not mean that I conform to them..or believe in them.

As for the difference between id's and papers, 'papers',usually implies that there are military check-points that stop folks and ask for their proof of citizenship,by passport or birth certificate. If I'm stopped by the cops,they don't ask me for my passport or birth certificate,they just want to know if I'm legally able to drive and operate the class of motor vehicle,that I'm in.

As for the rest of the world,my eyes have been opened to them,I never imagined just how many folks actually believe that terrorists can be appeased and that they will simply go away-if we would just give em what they want and try not to upset their feelings. Yup..I'm seeing the rest of the world,that doesn't believe in fighting for freedom,for the cowards that they really are.

Have a good one ...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Torog

Howdy hempity,

Thanx for taking the time to respond to me.

Well it sounds like ya must be a pretty big feller,if ya ain't worn size 12 shoes since you were 11 years old..and cars are too small for ya. Us patriots know that throwing a tantrum doesn't do much good,we prefer quiet,determined resolve..to git-r-done.

Every soldier,no matter their age,experiences fear at some point-it's only natural..but I'd say that for the most part,even our young soldiers are very brave and simply desire freedom for others,not just for themselves.

There ain't no one telling me what to eat or wear,I make all of them choices by myself..that society has crafted laws and regulations,that urge us what to do,and sometimes punish us for our choices,does not mean that I conform to them..or believe in them.

As for the difference between id's and papers, 'papers',usually implies that there are military check-points that stop folks and ask for their proof of citizenship,by passport or birth certificate. If I'm stopped by the cops,they don't ask me for my passport or birth certificate,they just want to know if I'm legally able to drive and operate the class of motor vehicle,that I'm in.

As for the rest of the world,my eyes have been opened to them,I never imagined just how many folks actually believe that terrorists can be appeased and that they will simply go away-if we would just give em what they want and try not to upset their feelings. Yup..I'm seeing the rest of the world,that doesn't believe in fighting for freedom,for the cowards that they really are.

Have a good one ...

---

you are welcome Turog,

i must admit, if nothing else, you have mellowed somewhat.

yes i am a large man, no fault of my own, and it is funny to see little children respond with "mommy mommy look at that man", sometimes, it is not funny to see the fear that it can generate, so i allow others to dress me now, i have never shaved or cut my hair, my family did not believe in it, so i am non threatening these days.
it was not always so.

i learned that the reason people fought, was because they were afraid, that scared me, i used to fight alot.
i am not saying that the soldiers are not brave, only that their lives are wasted on oil, because that is what this is about.
no matter how much you rail and whine, this war is about the price and availability of fossil fuel.
you yanks are killing babies for oil.


freedom, liberty is given by God, man can only take it away.

listen
i learned to ride a bike when i was very young, i learned to count on all of my senses, they taught me to stay alive, i trained my hearing, sight, eye and neck movement, to keep me alive and up on two wheels. helmets take that away, yet to ride without police up our asses, we must wear helmets, because some bitch wants to protect her baby. when in reality it only hinders them and gives them a sense of false safety


she is not the expert, i am..

yet i and all others must bow to her ignorance, if we want to ride.

even if you do not wish to acknowledge it, the FDA, tells you what to eat, the DOT tells you what to wear, the DEA tells you what to smoke, the ATF tells you what to drink, and now the DHS tells you what to say.


there is no difference between "let me see some ID" and "papers please", it is the same crap, someone decided that you all should be identified, because a very few of you were criminals or subversives.

terrorist is a word made up by your government to scare you, and to convince you, theirs was the only freedom available.
a man willing to die for his beliefs is not a terrorist, he is a poor passionate man, Christ was a poor passionate man, so i guess to your government, Christ was a terrorist.

you cannot fight for freedom, it is a gift, from the Creator
neither can you fight for peace, it is a gift, from his Son

peace be upon you all

mitaoyate,
hempity

Surely, Torog, an advocate of Free Speech and Freedom and Liberty and Democracy and whatnot such as yourself wouldn't want your government to actually supress these photos?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hempity

you are welcome Turog,

i must admit, if nothing else, you have mellowed somewhat.

yes i am a large man, no fault of my own, and it is funny to see little children respond with "mommy mommy look at that man", sometimes, it is not funny to see the fear that it can generate, so i allow others to dress me now, i have never shaved or cut my hair, my family did not believe in it, so i am non threatening these days.
it was not always so.

i learned that the reason people fought, was because they were afraid, that scared me, i used to fight alot.
i am not saying that the soldiers are not brave, only that their lives are wasted on oil, because that is what this is about.
no matter how much you rail and whine, this war is about the price and availability of fossil fuel.
you yanks are killing babies for oil.


freedom, liberty is given by God, man can only take it away.

listen
i learned to ride a bike when i was very young, i learned to count on all of my senses, they taught me to stay alive, i trained my hearing, sight, eye and neck movement, to keep me alive and up on two wheels. helmets take that away, yet to ride without police up our asses, we must wear helmets, because some bitch wants to protect her baby. when in reality it only hinders them and gives them a sense of false safety


she is not the expert, i am..

yet i and all others must bow to her ignorance, if we want to ride.

even if you do not wish to acknowledge it, the FDA, tells you what to eat, the DOT tells you what to wear, the DEA tells you what to smoke, the ATF tells you what to drink, and now the DHS tells you what to say.


there is no difference between "let me see some ID" and "papers please", it is the same crap, someone decided that you all should be identified, because a very few of you were criminals or subversives.

terrorist is a word made up by your government to scare you, and to convince you, theirs was the only freedom available.
a man willing to die for his beliefs is not a terrorist, he is a poor passionate man, Christ was a poor passionate man, so i guess to your government, Christ was a terrorist.

you cannot fight for freedom, it is a gift, from the Creator
neither can you fight for peace, it is a gift, from his Son

peace be upon you all

mitaoyate,
hempity

---

damn hempity...


damn.