The 540-page summary of CIA torture practices may just be the first in a growing collection of releases detailing US misdeeds over the past decade, as a deadline imposed by a federal judge on keeping some 2,100 photos secret fast approaches.
The Bush and Obama Administrations kept the photos secret for many years, and the judge gave the Justice Department until this evening, December 12, to offer individual rationales for why each of these photos were to be secret.
Judge Hellerstein complained the administrations declarations that the photos put national security in danger were overbroad, and wanted specific details on each. The judge is expected to rule individually and start ordering photos released in late January.
The photos include additional abuse photos from Abu Ghraib, from other sites in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere in the world. The last declaration related to their release came from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who in 2012 claimed every single one of them a vital national security secret. It was this ruling that sparked the ACLU lawsuit and eventually the judge’s involvement.
Photographs of torture weren't taken by accident. They were taken as trophies, souvenirs of the "good times" had by almost everyone who participated in torturing helpless victims. They were meant to be shared with others, or why take them in the first place. Maybe, instead of trying to keep the evidence of crimes secret under the "national security" banner, Washington should just stop engaging in crimes that, with or without photos, threaten national and international security. But that's probably a little too complicated for the "great thinkers" in DC to figure out.
Torture — Such a grand catalyst to rally our cause around
The primary purpose of torture is two fold: to convince the educated upper half of society that government has them out of harm’s way, notwithstanding all the vengeance generated by their hoarding all of our nation’s wealth. Second, to convince the impoverished lower half that any rebellion against the government will be met with a most painful and torturing response.
So, our goal is to convince the entire lower half that if we could organize but 5% of the population to go for nationwide strikes and an overabundance of nonviolent disobedience, it would surely be a catalyst and cause our brutal and imperial Empire to expire in a convulsion.
Good idea John but you should know that the assassinations would start long before it got to 5%. Pre-WW2 history would repeat itself for the good of the state, fatherland, motherland, cause, etc.
Hellerstein is the notorious 9/11 cover-up judge. He has been the judge on dozens and dozens of 9/11 related cases. When the government needs something covered up, enter Judge Hellerstein to the rescue.
Don't be fooled into thinking that he is a good guy who will hold the governments feet to the fire. Quite the opposite. I strongly suspect this is all just for show. If they do release any photos which is quite possible it will only be after Hellerstein allows them to hold back the most damaging photographic evidence. I suggest we all read the small print very carefully.
Will the photos finally be the reason to take the perps to the Hague, put them on trial for crimes against humanity, etc., and then hang the guilty from the neck until dead? Nuremburg style?
If they did, the USG has already passed authorization to attack the Hague and free any US citizen on trial. http://www.hrw.org/news/2002/08/03/us-hague-invas…
If they're going to start releasing photos, why not release the photos taken of a dead bin Laden? Washington has never provided any real proof that it was bin Laden who was killed (while he could have easily been captured). Yet 99% of the people take this story at face value.