US Government Defies Order to Release Iraq Abuse Photos!

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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NEW YORK – Lawyers for the Defense Department are refusing to cooperate with a federal judge’s order to release secret photographs and videotapes related to the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal.

The photographs were some of thousands turned over by Specialist Joseph M. Darby, the whistle-blower who exposed the abuse at Abu Ghraib by giving investigators computer disks containing photographs and videos of prisoners being abused, sexually humiliated and threatened with growling dogs.

The small number of the photographs released in spring 2004 provoked international outrage at the American military.

The government has turned over more than 60,000 pages of documents on the treatment of detainees, some containing graphic descriptions of mistreatment. But the material that the judge ordered released - the A.C.L.U. says there are 87 photographs and 4 videos - would be the first images released in the suit. The judge said they would be the “best evidence” in the debate about the treatment of Abu Ghraib prisoners.

“There is another dimension to a picture that is of much greater moment and immediacy” than a document, Judge Hellerstein said in court.

He rejected arguments from the government that releasing the photographs would violate the Geneva Conventions because prisoners might be identified and “further humiliated,” but he ordered any identifying features to be removed from the images.

In the letter sent Thursday, Sean Lane, an assistant United States attorney, said that the government was withholding the photographs because they “could result in harm to individuals,” and that it would outline the reasons in a sealed brief to the court.

The A.C.L.U. accused the government of continuing to stonewall requests for information “of critical public interest.”

“The government chose the last possible moment to raise this argument,” said Amrit Singh, a staff lawyer with the A.C.L.U.

“Because it is under seal, we don’t know whether their reasons are adequate,” Ms. Singh said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/23/politics/23abuse.html

** whats up with the US government they are trying to liberate iraq so they claim so lets see some of these liberation pictures, they keep going on about the truth, justic and the american way hoo hah come on then lets see some of these truths what you got to hide**
:bukbuk:

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Re: US Government Defies Order to Release Iraq Abuse Photos!

What now US laws don't apply to the US govt?

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Re: US Government Defies Order to Release Iraq Abuse Photos!

Don’t get too excited. There are plenty of pictures available from Iraq. Picture of a naked Iraqi in Abu graib however abhorant, still pales in front of the pictures of blownup kids thanks to MAToo kabooms.

Keep up with raves and rants and Pakistani police will show you the real scenes of Chitrol being gifted to 300+ MAToos.

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Re: US Government Defies Order to Release Iraq Abuse Photos!

The fact is that the US is refusing its own courts. So much for the democracy of the US. Human rights violations. Racism. Persecution of minorities and now refusal to obey its own courts. Hmmm wasn't Nazi germany built in a similar fashion?

Aik Shair Aik Mehfil
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Re: US Government Defies Order to Release Iraq Abuse Photos!

The disgraceful US military showed the whole world what they are all about in Iraq with the abuses and torture that they committed now the US government know any more images will add more fuel to the already burning fire!

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Re: US Government Defies Order to Release Iraq Abuse Photos!

Blocked Pics Show US Child Abuse, Rape At Abu Ghraib](Child Abuse at Abu Ghraib :: www.uruknet.info :: informazione dal medio oriente :: information from middle east :: [host6 ])
http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m14040&l=i&size=1&hd=0

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Re: US Government Defies Order to Release Iraq Abuse Photos!

further to the above…

Sunday Herald, 1 August 2004

Iraq’s Child Prisoners

By Neil Mackay

A Sunday Herald investigation has discovered that coalition forces are holding more than 100 children in jails such as Abu Ghraib. Witnesses claim that the detainees – some as young as 10 – are also being subjected to rape and torture.

It was early last October that Kasim Mehaddi Hilas says he witnessed the rape of a boy prisoner aged about 15 in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. “The kid was hurting very bad and they covered all the doors with sheets,” he said in a statement given to investigators probing prisoner abuse in Abu Ghraib. “Then, when I heard the screaming I climbed the door … and I saw [the soldier’s name is deleted] who was wearing a military uniform.” Hilas, who was himself threatened with being sexually assaulted in Abu Graib, then describes in horrific detail how the soldier raped “the little kid”.

http://www.sundayherald.com/43796

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Re: US Government Defies Order to Release Iraq Abuse Photos!

Yep, those blownup kids of muslim descent in Iraq is not a pretty sight. I agree with you we must stop invading countries on a hunch and call it “operation x freedom” replace x with the country of your choice.

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More and more US soliders have been torturing Iraqis…

I remember when Abu Ghraib was revealed, so many of our American guppies tried to say it was an isolated incident… clearly shown to be false.

A company of the California Army National Guard was placed on restricted duty after allegations that members of the unit mistreated detainees in Iraq, possibly with a stun gun, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

Investigations are under way into the allegations of mistreatment of prisoners by the soldiers, Col. David Baldwin, a California National Guard spokesman, told the Los Angeles Times. Other members of the 1st Battalion of the 184th Infantry Regiment are accused of extorting money from Iraqi shopkeepers.

The battalion’s Fullerton-based Alpha Company, comprising about 130 soldiers, is stationed at Forward Operating Base Falcon outside Baghdad and has been put on restricted duty while the Army reviews its performance, said Baldwin.

He wouldn’t discuss the allegations in detail or identify the soldiers and officers involved. The ``National Guard cannot comment on an ongoing U.S. Army investigation,‘’ he said.

U.S. officials in Baghdad had no comment Wednesday. The Combined Press Information Center referred The Associated Press to the detention command, where officials did not respond to messages by phone or e-mail.

The Times said several sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the investigation appears to deal with allegations an electric stun gun was used to abuse or torture Iraqi detainees after an insurgent attack in June. The use of a stun gun on a man who had been handcuffed and blindfolded was videotaped, one soldier told the newspaper.

The military revealed earlier this month that 11 soldiers had been charged with dereliction of duty in connection with the alleged mistreatment of detainees in Iraq but did not identify their unit. Baldwin confirmed Tuesday that the soldiers are members of Alpha Company.

Some of the soldiers also were charged with mistreatment of a person under their control, assault and making a false statement, said a Task Force Baghdad spokesman, Lt. Col. Steve Boylan. One soldier was charged with obstruction of justice.

The Army’s Criminal Investigation Division will determine whether the soldiers will face court-martial.

As many as 17 soldiers are under investigation, the newspaper said.

In addition to the accusations involving Alpha Company, at least six soldiers in the battalion are alleged to have extorted money from Iraqi business owners, apparently in exchange for protection from insurgents. The payments allegedly exceeded $30,000 and were made in U.S. currency.

It wasn’t unclear if anyone has been charged in connection with the extortion allegations.

``What we have been told is that there is an investigation under way involving very serious violations of the Uniform Military Code,‘’ said Capt. Daniel Markert, commander of the battalion’s rear detachment at Modesto.

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These National Guard units don’t even belong in these type of operations. Just another f* up by Bush in not planning this whole thing out. Time to bring them home. Then we can ignore the relative MASSIVE abusive/torture/rape/killings that Muslims will do to Muslims and continute to bash the US - this time for abandoning them.

But it is obvious is that the US is investigating these allegations in earnest and taking action against those who are found to violate the Uniform Military Code. Please compare that to countries (I think we can all name a few?) that have extradjudicial killings and prisoner torture/rape/abuse that is institutionalized throughout the chain of command and are swept under the rug. NEVER anything like that posted in WA. Maybe all those threads are in PA?

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It is pretty clear, from the fact that the US government is not releasing all the photos, that they are still trying to sweep some things under the rug.

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It's a precarious situation, by releasing more photos/videos the insurgency will likely garner strength and the view of the United States will go further down the toilet. By not releasing the photos/video the truth is hidden and those responsible may or may not be held accountable for there actions, the public simply wouldn’t know.

Frankly it's embarassing that Rumsfeld is still around after the first photos were released but taking responsibility for when things go wrong is not part of the Bush doctrine. This is an incredibly large black eye on the face of the U.S. across several fronts and that bruise is not likely to dissipate anytime soon.

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Do you think people in Iraq don’t really know whats happening in their jails? By releasing photos, international community will come to know about it.

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Do you really think the international community doesn't know what's happening? Or is it only the geniuses on gupshup that are privvy to this information?

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Do you really know the nature of atrocities and the number of victims already? Dayem! :bummer:

danday_wala paa ji ko
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Re: US Government Defies Order to Release Iraq Abuse Photos!

I'm sure many in Iraq do know what happened (past tense) in Abu Ghraib. It's all around a horrible situation.

sattiyaa naasss...
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UTD and Sem the issue is not that the pictures would garner support. It is that the US govt is violating the commands of its own judiciary.

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Hey Captain, what country are you from? What about the nature of atrocities and the number of victims there? Or are you just concerned about how others conduct their business?

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^ or are you just concerned about how others conduct their business?

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I am a Pakistani citizen and I am well aware of (or atleast I think) what happens back there and the atrocities committed. We are talking about US government here, who invaded another country because that regime was an axis of d/evil (not cuz it had WMD), cuz the regime was oppressive, cuz the regime didn’t provide justice to its citizens etc etc etc. but now our own army has committed atrocities (lets not compare the levels) against the civilians and now our govt is hiding that information for some purpose, what is that purpose?