Gen. Ray Odierno, along with other top defense officials, argued that releasing the images of alleged detainee abuse would endanger US troops abroad.

In a reversal of his previous position, President Obama will now oppose the release of more than 40 photos allegedly showing detainees being mistreated after deciding that releasing them could put American troops in danger and inflame anti-US sentiments abroad.

The change of heart apparently came after Gen. Ray Odierno, the top commander in Iraq, made a personal plea to the White House against releasing the images because they would endanger US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The images are thought to show US troops mistreating detainees overseas in ways reminiscent of the 2004 Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

The photos were to be released before May 28 per a federal judge’s order. Mr. Obama’s reversal now means that the administration will appeal that ruling. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday during a hearing on Capitol Hill that the case could go to the Supreme Court.

With this decision, Obama has probably angered the left but scored political points on the other side of the aisle.

http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/05/13/iraq-general-swayed-obama-on-detainee-photos/

Hint: If it pleases the other side of aisle there is something mega wrong.

:hide:



:hi:

I am not sure why it was put that way...but it sounded when I first saw it like a General of the Iraqi army was the subject of the article.

The government is full -- probably more than 60-70 percent -- of people who owe their prime allegiance to the Bush-Cheney cabal and who will try to make Obama and the country fail.

Not a Senator or a Political hack.

Clue #1.

Polls coming in the next few days

Your point?

BTW: Doing the popular thing is not always the right thing.

I fail to see the upside in releasing the photos.

...so is responsibility.

Need more?

What is the upside of the photos? Who benefits from releasing them?

...then there is no harm in being truthful about the photos. They allegedly will speak to the truth we already know, right? Well, unless they differ from what we have been told.

How about we go directly to the source and let each person make his/her own decision on the photos represent? If we already know what is there ~~ what is there to fear?

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To be honest, I'm not sure what the right call is. There are solid arguments for both sides.

but for some reason, I think those pictures are more explicitly damaging or on the same scale as the Abu Ghraib pictures.

are against it.

...and keeping them there when reason and logic says otherwise.

:thumbsup:

...exactly.

no purpose other than allowing people like you to oggle them.

The investigation is over.

on this.

...there you are with Mitch McConnell and Lindsay Graham. Enjoy yourself.

and his team who know what's going on.

...enjoy your stay on the dark side, OK?

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I want the release of the photos too. But acting like a jerk to other posters sucks, hard.

...maybe you are in the wrong party?

Just asking...:eyes:

Remember when you go left far enough, you meet up with the far right. It's exactly what you're doing. Wrong party indeed.

young and sheltered and inexperienced. Must be why you think capital letters are persuasive.

If you're going to try to equate the two you'll have to improve your bullshit.

But that doesn't surprise me.

But that doesn't surprise me.

:hi:

And rude, too.

People on both sides of the aisle can agree on a sensitive matter, obviously.

It's just uncalled for rudeness to say nasty things just because people disagree.

Lighten up, it makes you look like a meaner person than you likely are.

He is listening to the generals. If you want to compare President Obama to McConnel and Graham, you're being woefully dishonest.

Now they know they can push him to do what thy want. I sure hope he has something up his sleeve to turn this around or they will beat him at every opportunity knowing they have done it once.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/13/obama-broke-his-word-on-d_n_203065.html

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.

...thanks for the info.

they are not having a vacation out there.

...hiding them, IMO, makes it worse.

When you're trying to recruit somebody to fight against the United States, it's much more effective to show the photos of torture than it is to simply talk about it.

Does anyone else here notice a problem with that statement?

...will do far worse damage to the US reputation than releasing the photos.

As far as our troops are concerned, they are in a theater of war occupying a foreign land. They are big boys and girls, and are trained to handle upswings in bad sentiment. I do not appreciate the troops being used as excuses for no transparency or justice.

The excuse that the perpetrators of these crimes went to jail is besides the point. The architects of this have not been brought to justice and are now trying to shape public opinion to excuse the use of torture. If allowed to continue, we will become a nation that accepts torture with a shrug....not a place I want to raise children.

If President Obama, on seeing the photos, thought they were so incendiary as to endanger our troops, then shouldn't he also realize that he needs to fix this mess by bringing the torturers (and especially those who ordered it) to justice? Wouldn't that go a long way to restoring our credibility and possibly make our troops safer?

Sigh. I'm probably just being naive.

Don't you have GLBT DUers you want to ply with enhanced interrogation techniques?

because we need to have the truth revealed as painful and awful as it may be.

But it is very difficult for the president to go against top commanders, especially when the commander is warning about something potentially endangering troos. Obama has repeatedly promised that he would listen to the top commanders on the ground to formulate his decisions.

And assuming Obama wants to live up to his other promise - in starting a troop withdrawal from Iraq - it does him no favors in making enemies out of the commanders and it makes such a process all the more difficult if relations are poor between the president and them.

This excuse of opening the pictures putting troops at risk shouldn't be tolerated indefinitely but considering our own overseas involvement, in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, I am afraid that excuse may be used for some time.

by staying in Iraq to "fight" this illegal war.

I thought WE CITIZENS controlled and TOLD our "military" what to do...

If it was good enough for LINCOLN, FDR and TRUMAN, it's good enough for me - and these PATRIOTS were not hesitant to SACK uncooperative generals!!!

HEY YOU FUCKING REPUKE GENERALS: IT'S THE "TORTURE" THAT PUTS OUR TROOPS IN DANGER, NOT THE FUCKING "PHOTOS"!!!

Shocked, I tell you! Shocked.

Not In My Name!:kick:Justice and Accountability!

You can't put the genie back in the bottle.

Not that most of them would care, but maybe enough to cause some trouble.

:grr: :nuke:

Do they all get tossed because there is a new President? Maybe Obama can turn the entire apparatus upside down.. Fire the whole government and military. That might be fun. But who will be President next?