Obama’s Gitmo Photo Reverso
Barack Obama has gotten crosswise with the ACLU because he has changed his mind about releasing more Abu Ghraib Detainee Abuse Photos,
President Obama said Wednesday that he would fight to prevent the release of photographs documenting abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan by United States military personnel, reversing his position on the issue after commanders warned that the images could set off a deadly backlash against American troops.
…The administration said last month that it would not oppose the release of the pictures, but Mr. Obama changed his mind after seeing the photographs and getting warnings from top Pentagon officials that the images, taken from the early years of the wars, would “further inflame anti-American opinion” and endanger troops in two war zones.
The decision in effect tossed aside an agreement the government had reached with the American Civil Liberties Union, which had fought to release photographs of incidents at Abu Ghraib and a half-dozen other prisons. The Justice Department informed the United States District Court in New York, which had backed the A.C.L.U.’s request, that it would appeal the ruling, citing “further reflection at the highest levels of government.”
To explain his position, which was sharply criticized by the A.C.L.U., Mr. Obama spoke at the White House before flying to Arizona to deliver a commencement address. He suggested that the new mission in Iraq and Afghanistan could be imperiled by an old fight.
“The publication of these photos would not add any additional benefit to our understanding of what was carried out in the past by a small number of individuals,” Mr. Obama told reporters on the South Lawn. “In fact, the most direct consequence of releasing them, I believe, would be to further inflame anti-American opinion and to put our troops in greater danger.”
…Several left-leaning groups, which had been fierce critics of the Bush administration, said they were stunned by the decision. Human Rights Watch called it a blow to transparency and accountability. And Mr. Romero, the executive director of the A.C.L.U., suggested that the Obama administration was “covering up not only for the Bush White House, but for itself.”
Isn’t it funny how much smarter George Bush has seemed to be since Barack Obama got into office and had to deal with the same challenges? Why, Gitmo? Who needs that? Then when it was time to close it, “We have no idea what we’re going to do with the prisoners.”
With these pictures, you just know some non-liberal had to sit down with Barack Obama and explain the real world ramifications of what he was about to do. Can’t you just hear Obama after the briefing?
“It would make our job in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan harder? But, I thought they would appreciate our honesty! You mean some people would use these photos as an excuse to riot? I had no idea! And I would be held responsible? How can that be? I wasn’t President when these photos were taken! Well, if there might be political ramifications, I guess the ACLU will have to get over it.”
It’s like the real life version of a bad Hollywood movie where an inexperienced, completely unqualified doofus becomes President and starts trying to shake things up with his simple solutions that nobody else can see! Unfortunately, it’s not a movie, Hollywood doesn’t get to write a happy ending, and we’re stuck with this boob running the show in DC at least until 2012.