In a dramatic and high-profile reversal for his young administration, President Barack Obama is seeking to block the release of 44 photographs depicting abuse of detainees in U.S. military custody in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Justice Department had already agreed to release the photos by May 28 in response to a lawsuit, but Obama is shifting course.
This is a huge mistake.
Obama is now seen to be waffling, not decisive. Obama is seen as bowing down before Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham.
Contrary to the GOP position, releasing these photos does not weaken national security. The actions DEPICTED in the photos endanger national security by creating enemies of this country and convincing those enemies that it is far better to die in battle than to be captured alive.
The photos are an embarrassment. and by withholding them, Obama is not only obstructing justice, he is an accessory after-the-fact in war crimes.
In the end, by withholding these photos (and the rest of the evidence), it leaves the rest of the world free to assume (probably correctly) that far worse things were done to prisoners than just waterboarding.
No comments:
Post a Comment