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Obama U-turn to block Iraq abuse photos
Paul Thompson14 May 2009
Barack Obama has ordered the first U-turn of his administration as he seeks to prevent the release of photographs that show the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Fears that the images will stir up hatred against American troops have caused the president to begin legal moves to prevent their publication.
Yesterday the daughter of former vice-president Dick Cheney accused Mr Obama of “siding with terrorists” over the release of the images. Liz Cheney, a former state department official, accused him of only releasing documents that painted America in a negative fashion.
Mr Obama held talks with White House lawyers and military chiefs and wants the matter to go back to court where he will attempt to have the release blocked.
He claimed publication could “inflame anti-American opinion and put our troops in greater danger”, saying: “Publication of these photos would not add any benefit to our understanding of what was carried out in the past by a small number of individuals.”
The pictures are part of potential evidence in cases since the Abu Ghraib prison scandal erupted in 2004. Photos taken at the Baghdad prison showing guards abusing detainees led to worldwide outrage against America and a rise in insurgent attacks in Iraq.
The latest images relate to more than 400 cases of alleged abuse between 2001 and 2005 and are said to show women prisoners posing with naked and shackled detainees. Others depict hooded prisoners with copies of Playboy magazine on their laps and open to show nude centrefolds.
The American Civil Liberties Union went to court to seek the release of the photos and launched the court action before Mr Obama was elected president. The US justice department told a federal judge the Obama administration would not resist a court order to publish 44 photographs at the end of this month.
A series of meetings at the White House has prompted the policy change. Defence secretary Robert Gates said yesterday that he had told Mr Obama to withhold the photos and also noted concern from senior military figures in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Our commanders have expressed very serious reservations and their very great worry that release of these photographs would cost American lives,” he said.
Amnesty International condemned Mr Obama's U-turn, but Republican senator Lindsey Graham was full of praise. He said: “It's good for the troops to know that their commander-in- chief is going to bat for them.”
Reader views (3)
WHY IN THE NAME OF GOD IS THIS MAN TRYING TO COVER UP BUSH AND BLAIRS WAR CRIMES, I THOUGHT HE SAID HE WAS HAVING A FRESH START, HERE WE GO AGAIN, DUCKING DIVING SMOKING MIRRORS, DONT LET THE FOOLS THE PUBLIC SEE THEM IN CASE WE THINK THEY ARE GUILTY, IT BEGGERS BELIEF, OF COURSE THIS IS THE LAND OF FREEDOM AND LIBERTY AT IT AGAIN, LOL LOL LOL.
- Jim Fennessey, london, 14/05/2009 22:17
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Obama was and is Tony Blair. All talk and no strategy. some US soldiers abused prisoners, which is terrible. Let's now have pictures of Daniel Pearl's slow decapitation by al Qaeda and other abuses by these people to provide some balance, then release the pictures in context.
- Stephen Rothbart, Prague Czech Republic, 14/05/2009 21:17
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This is how it starts. you then end up being no differentt to Blair or Bush!!!!
- Strombolus, Umberleigh,, 14/05/2009 21:17
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