"A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one!": Alexander Hamilton
Many people today don't want honest answers insofar as honest means unpleasant or disturbing, They want a soft answer that turneth away anxiety." Louis Kronenberger - (1904-1980)
"For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are.": Niccolo Machiavelli - (1469-1527) Italian Statesman and Political Philosopher - Source: Discourses, 1513-1517
New 'Prisoner Abuse' Photographs
The shocking images of inmates in Iraq and Afghanistan were published just a day after the US president announced plans for a legal battle stop them ever being seen.
They risked provoking renewed hostility in the Middle East as Mr Obama attempts to build bridges with the Islamic world.
He is scheduled to make a major speech in Cairo on June 4 when he will launch his version of a plan to bring peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
One picture showed a prisoner hung up upside down while another showed a naked man smeared in excrement standing in a corridor with a guard standing menacingly in front of him. Another prisoner is handcuffed to the window frame of his cell with underpants pulled over his head.
Others yet to be released reportedly show military guards threatening to sexually assault a detainee with a broomstick and hooded prisoners on transport planes with Playboy magazines opened to pictures of nude women on their laps.
The images emerged from Australia yesterday where they were originally obtained by the channel SBS in 2006 in the wake of the Abu Ghraib scandal. They were not distributed around the world at the time but are now believed to be among those the president is trying to block.
Mr Obama previously committed to allowing thousands of images to be published but changed his mind after senior generals warned that their publication could place US troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan in greater danger.
The president's change of heart brought bitter criticism from the left wingers and the American Civil Liberties Union, which had brought a freedom of information case against the US government applying to see the pictures.
Pledging to fight the case all the way to the Supreme Court, the ACLU accused him of betraying his principles of open government and "complicity in covering up" the "commission of torture by the Bush administration".
"It is true that these photos would be disturbing. The day we are no longer disturbed by such repugnant acts would be a sad one," said Anthony Romero, executive director.
"Only by looking squarely in the mirror, acknowledging the crimes of the past and achieving accountability can we move forward and ensure that these atrocities are not repeated."
The White House legal team was yesterday preparing for a June 9 deadline to present its case that it would be against the interests of national security to make the pictures public.
The controversy came as it was revealed that the administration is considering detaining terror suspects from Guantanamo Bay indefinitely and without trial on US soil.
Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator, said after meeting White House lawyers that terror suspects deemed too dangerous to release could be jailed permanently by a new national security court.
Other options include revising the Bush administration's military commissions for senior al-Qaeda suspects that have been criticised for relying too heavily on hearsay and uncontestable intelligence information.
When he took office on Jan 20 Mr Obama ordered that the prison at a US naval base on Cuba be closed within a year.
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Comments: 31
The only terrorists we have to fear are residing in Washington not in the torture camps.
Its much harder to be a denier when you are looking at the truth.
All we need now is a real president and justice department that does not suck up to the Bush gang and lie at every press conference.
> public opinion is all that counts
A nice-sounding rule of thumb -- EXCEPT for those situations where you and "the public" happen to DISagree.
Article Three of the Constitution provides for trial by jury, which not only places a check on the power of the state, but also protects the accused from "justice" at the hands of a mob (aka "the public").
In a criminal case, the jury's decision is supposedly based on the evidence presented-- "public opinion" doesn't mean squat.
Jus' defendin' th' ol' Constitution...
So what does this have to do with torture Thomas or is it that you support such criminal actions?
You think the public is all for this degrading form of destroying people, and innocent people as well?
Its a shame Thomas that you just like to harass people and are automatically hypocritical about anything another person says.
How many times have you told god he is wrong Thomas? Maybe you really do think government is created to be served.
Your in the wrong forum Thomas you need to go to the ones that support insurrection.
Will They Hate Us for the Secret Photographs?
No, daily killings of civilians by the US troops and hundreds of thousands killed by now have already created too much hostility.
When we elected Obama there was a lot of talk about whether or not he could keep us safe. When we reap the wind over these photos, I hope all who participated in releasing them and all who demanded their release remember that they asked for it - that he tried to keep us safe and we castigated him... Americans will die - our kids in uniform, will die as a result of this. I trust everyone is happy.
The pics are spread around the world now like they should be and Bush and his gang will get what they deserve.
America has a lot to account for and what goes around comes around.
If people do not like seeing their handy work they need to stop waving their flags and supporting war profiteering.
Here, you have the right to whine and heap disdain on your fellow citizens as much as you like.
We are similarly free to wish you'd roll up your sleeves and do something besides complain.
Playing politically correct is for brainwashed people Thomas.
Were you with us in London pulling down the Bush effigy?
Did you camp out with us at the Sheehan camp in Texas.
Your right about me in telling the truth about political hacks and liars that continue to destroy my country.
I do not care what party you support because all I support is my constitution not political hacks.
Your sit back and ride the wind at someone else's expense is a losers attitude.
Is disrespect all you have to offer?
Good luck solving the world's problems with THAT.
Just what I mean with the name attack dog Thomas, you sit back and watch the world destroyed so you can sit back and degrade others that want to see their country clean up its act. All attack dogs add nothing but personal name calling to any discussion.
You seem to forget that elected officials are public servants not public dictators.
Its anti Americans like you that have put us in the slime pit of corruption we are in now.
Don't like the truth shown in the picks stop waving your Chinese made American flag to support murder and war profiteering
Read "Hands" and the ensuing discussion THEN decide whether "GOP attack dog" is an apt description.
Attack dog is the perfect fit for the GOP hypocrites and their phony religious puke they spout. The real problem is the democrats are no better and people need to be trained over on how to do their own independent thinking instead of playing up to political hacks and their propaganda.
Stop running the roads 24/7 and pay more attention to your freedom before we all lose the little we have left.
It was YOU calling ME names, Jack, not the other way 'round. "GOP attack dog," indeed! But you don't know me.
That's OK, but when I provided a link to a little more information, asking only that you read and THEN judge for yourself, did you skip the readin' and plow right ahead with the judgin'?
I used the link you posted Thomas . Your not supporting what you posted on your thread here either you trying to stand up for political criminals, politically correct is what destroys the country, paying attention to your government is what freedon is all about.
Were you at the docks when Bush sent his storm troopers in to murder innocent protesters? I was.
You want to talk about being active Thomas lets talk.
Steve Earle's "Rich Man's War" (video)
Oh, and as for "pay more attention to your freedom," note that 98 of 100 US Senators voted FOR the USA PATRIOT Act.
Only ONE (Russ Feingold of Wisconsin) voted AGAINST this legislation (Mary Landrieu of Louisiana did not vote), and Wisconsin voters subsequently re-elected Senator Feingold by an even larger margin than for his first two terms!
So, New Englanders, to "pay more attention to your freedom" is the EASY part. You also have to have the cojones to stand up and DO something about it.