and to reverse the ruling of the Court of Appeals that Obama had said he would abide by. I think most of us knew it would come to this sooner or later. From the ACLU.
NEW YORK – The government today asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its appeal of a court ruling requiring the release of photos depicting the abuse of prisoners held in U.S. custody at overseas locations. In September 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ordered the government to turn over the photos in response to an ACLU Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit. The Obama administration originally indicated that it would not appeal that decision and would release the photos, but abruptly reversed its position shortly before the agreed-upon deadline.
Solicitor General Elena Kagan has taken this to the Supreme Court. Her reason , as she stated it is below.
"The President of the United States and the Nation’s highest-ranking military officers responsible for ongoing combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have determined that disclosure by the government of the photographs at issue in this case would pose a significant risk to the lives and physical safety of American military and civilian personnel by inciting violence targeting those personnel,"
The Politico article has a interesting description of what the photos depict.
The government’s filing says some of the photos show "soldiers pointing pistols or rifles at the heads of hooded and handcuffed detainees." One image shows a handcuffed and hooded prisoner and a soldier who is acting "as if" he is violating a detainee with a broom handle.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/... (highlights by me)
The ACLUs press release had more to say about this issue that shows how this will effect the case.
"The appeals court soundly rejected all of the government's arguments for withholding the photos, and it's unfortunate that the government has chosen to contest that decision," said Amrit Singh, staff attorney with the ACLU. "These photos would provide visual proof that prisoner abuse by U.S. personnel was not aberrational but widespread, reaching far beyond the walls of Abu Ghraib. As disturbing as the photos may be, it is critical that the American people know the full truth about the abuse that occurred in their name." http://www.aclu.org/...
The last part that is in bold print is the key here. The American public has been lied to over and over again that what happen was caused by a few bad seeds and that the evil acts weren't all that bad. A photo of a detainee with a broomstick shoved up his behind being held by a American Soldier might finally shock the conscience of a few. I believe it was Senator Whitehouse who warned of the outrage that would come if all the truth were made public, after he had viewed Top Secret material the public has yet to see.
Is it fear for the lives of our troops or fear that Bush might finally have to face justice if the photos provoke a larger investigation ? Only time will tell, maybe. Don't hold your breathe on this one.