Obama renegs on release of torture photos
Amnesty International USA's executive director Larry Cox released the following statement in response to news reports that the Obama administration will not be fulfilling its legal obligation per the American Civil Liberties Union's FOIA suit to release photos documenting abuse and torture of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan:
"Human beings have been tortured and denied basic rights. The American people have been lied to, and government officials who authorised and justified abusive policies have been given a pass. The world has lost faith in the United States' respect for human dignity. And still, the whole story has not been told.
"Now, the Obama administration is reneging on its legal obligation to release the torture photos, a critical disclosure in helping Americans understand the range and degree of abuse that was committed in their name.
"Today's decision to hold the torture photos only points more firmly to the urgent need for an investigation to expose, prosecute and finally close the book on torture.”
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 2.2 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.
Comments
John Doe | Posted on 22 May 2009, 03:28AM | Report comment
It is clear that the bloggers on this story do not understand the magnitude of their comments. All of this should have remained top secret, no release of information in this category can or ever will be good. Military trials are necessary as moving these into the federal court system, and in the US, will give the terrorists rights that would allow some of them to be released, not because they are not guity, but because they were not detained according to the laws related to us citizens.
Saratchandran | Posted on 20 May 2009, 10:05AM | Report comment
It is regretable that Obama acted in this way. No amount of words can equate to a picture so in that sense the true nature of toture remains concealed from the public. In fact not releasing these pictures might also inflame anti-western opinion and further give rise to the view that western democracies will only inform the world what is good about them. Obama should have been briefed on this aspect.
Michael Wild | Posted on 17 May 2009, 11:17PM | Report comment
My feeling is that as long as the truth is out in words (and Obama released the stuff not under any co ersion, it’s fair enough to leave the pictures out. It will just inflame anti-western opinion without giving more information. I’m more concerned about the revived Military Trials though I’m very pleased about eliminating information about torture. I’d be interested to know exactly how these commissions vary from ordinary trials.