It had been announced that the US Defense Department was preparing the release of a substantial number of photos depicting abuse of detainees by US military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Barack Obama will now try to block the court ordered release, reversing his position after military commanders warned that the detainee photos would promote anti-American sentiment and endanger US soldiers in the region.

The photo release was to be a result of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). An April 23rd 2009 letter from the Justice Department, signed by Acting U.S Attorney Lev L. Dassin, to the ACLU stated that the Pentagon was preparing to release a batch of 21 photos on May 28th, followed by another batch of 23 photos. The letter added that the Pentagon also was “processing to release a substantial number of other images contained in Army CID reports that have been closed during the pendency of this case.”

The initial request by the ACLU for the detainee abuse photos was in 2003 after the Bush administration had refused to disclose the images claiming that disclosure of such evidence would generate outrage and would violate US obligations toward detainees under the Geneva Conventions.

A three-judge, U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals panel rejected the Bush administration’s position in September 2008, saying there was significant public interest in disclosure of the photographs. The Bush administration’s appeal to the full appeals court was denied on March 11th of this year. The Obama administration had said it agreed to release the images, in part because it did not believe it could persuade the Supreme Court to review the case.

President Obama now says the detainee abuse photos he wants to block from release are "not particularly sensational”, would do no good if published and that he had directed his legal team to fight the court-ordered release of the photos. He again reiterated that he will not tolerate abuse of prisoners.

The Obama administration’s reversal on the release of the graphic photos s causing some lawmakers and vets groups to applaud the last-minute action as a moral decision that will save lives. “Today we want to commend the president for coming to what I believe is the appropriate decision for our national security and for the security of our troops,” said Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R- TN).



 

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