Senate OKs War Funding, Blocks Release Of Detainee Photos 86-3: Bi-Partisanship Works!

Senate OKs war funding, blocks release of detainee pictures
From CNN Congressional Producer Ted Barrett
May 21, 2009

WASHINGTON (CNN) –The Senate late Thursday easily passed a $91 billion spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. After stripping it of funds to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and placing restrictions on the transfer of its detainees, the bill was adopted 86 to 3.

The Senate included an amendment to prevent the public release of photographs that reportedly document the mistreatment of post-Sept. 11 detainees in U.S. custody.

The language is aimed at preventing a court from ordering their release in response to a freedom of information lawsuit.

The measure was sponsored by Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, and Sen. Lindsay Graham, a South Carolina Republican, who said releasing the inflammatory photos would stoke resentment against the U.S. It blocks the photos' release for five years and gives the Secretary of Defense the ability to keep them under wraps longer.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/21/senate-oks-war-funding-blocks-release-of-detainee-pictures/

:thumbsdown:

half of that could be used for healthcare and other services at home.

For 100,000,000,000 dollars the troops could just abandon a good portion of their equipment to the Iraqi Army and just come home.

Replace the equipment here at home and save lives.

the troops need to come home now. Obama needs to ignore Uncle Dick.

Nobody of course is watching China.

we need to at least TRY to get bin Laden and shut AQ down. And the troops in Iraq need funding during the wind down.

The photos - that decision was already made by Obama, so I don't see the point in passing a bill about it. I guess in case he changed his mind about it, or someone else could release the pics.

Its like Congress voting that Dick Cheney should shut up.

Or the courts can't....as you say.

We can't be sending our troops over to Afghanistan to just keep fighting Al Qaeda over and over again. History also says that we can't conquer Afghanistan. I don't think Obama particularly wants our troops to be in Afghanistan and I don't think he's worried about the political consequences of not finding Bin Laden given that Bush certainly didn't. If we find him that would be great, but the cost of more troops coming home in body bags and billions more spent on the war isn't worth it.

What he's really worried about is Pakistan's government and its nuclear arsenal falling to the Taliban. That, IMO, is the one event that could get a Republican elected in 2012. Because even though Bush created the mess in the first place, it would be Obama's fault because it happened on his watch.

Joe (I promise I'll be good) Liberman and Linsay Graham.... Oh brother.

Obama should never have let Liberman go unpunished. Where's the public outcry about the torturephotos? <crickets>. I guess that seals it.. done deal.

Almost unanimous that Repubs and Repub constituents vote against releasing pics. AS for Dems...? 62%----I think you have a long wait if you want a public out cry. That doesn't even count the many Indies who DON'T want to see the pics.

That decision should be left up to the President just like releasing other information is.