The Defense Department was
ordered by a US District Court judge to release a new set of photos of abuse at
Abu Ghraib on June 30, and was granted an extension until July 22 (to, as the Defense Department claimed, redact the faces and identifying characteristics of the torture victims). According to
Seymour Hersh, this set of photos depict acts such as child rape.
Rather than complying with the order, the Defense Department filed a new argument insisting that release of the photographs would "endanger the life or physical safety" of armed service personnel.
On Thursday, 14 media and public interest groups filed an amicus brief, urging the court to demand the release of the new set of photos.
From
Raw Story:
The coalition, which includes CBS Broadcasting Inc., NBC Universal Inc., and The New York Times Co. , supports a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit the American Civil Liberties Union has had pending the Defense Department since October 2003.
The government argues that the information is protected by Exemption 7(F) of the FOI Act, which protects law enforcement records from disclosure when they "could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual." Citing recent riots in Afghanistan following Newsweek's publication of an article about alleged Koran abuse at Guantanamo Bay, later retracted, the government says the official release of Abu Ghraib prison abuse photos could similarly incite violence against military personnel and civilians overseas.
"The government has taken the position in this case that the more outrageously the behavior exhibited by American troops, the less the public has a right to know about it," said Reporters Committee Executive Director Lucy Dalglish. "Such a stance turns the Freedom of Information Act inside out."
Dalglish nails it. This is yet another incidence of the GOP-run government inverting reality. Up is down. Yellow is blue. The worse the torture, the less public oversight is required. The GOP Congress has clearly failed in its duty to adequately oversee this war and prevent atrocity. Thus, it is imperative that the public be given the opportunity to reform this mess. Blocking information deprives us of this opportunity.