prisoner abuse

Today is the day that the “holy grail” report of prisoner abuse is supposed to be released, highlighting torture techniques used at Gitmo. So far the leaked details have been very disturbing.

On the heels of this release we also find out that a Justice Department report is suggesting to open/reopen a bunch of investigations:

The Justice Department’s ethics office has recommended reversing the Bush administration and reopening nearly a dozen prisoner-abuse cases, potentially exposing Central Intelligence Agency employees and contractors to prosecution for brutal treatment of terrorism suspects, according to a person officially briefed on the matter.

The recommendation by the Office of Professional Responsibility, presented to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. in recent weeks, comes as the Justice Department is about to disclose on Monday voluminous details on prisoner abuse that were gathered in 2004 by the C.I.A.’s inspector general but have never been released.

All I can say is “its about time”, and hopefully the administration and Congress will follow suit. The excuse that we “must look forward” is one of the weakest I have ever heard. Imagine the police saying that on murder investigations.

A federal judge ruled today that abuse photos from the Abu Gharib prison
scandal will be released despite Pentagon opposition. The following is the
report issued by the

Associated Press this afternoon.

Judge Orders Release of Abu Ghraib
Photos

 By LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press Writer

Saying the United States "does not surrender to blackmail," a judge ruled
Thursday that pictures of detainee abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison must be
released over government claims that they could damage America's image.

U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein ordered the release of certain
pictures in a 50-page decision that said terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan
have proven they "do not need pretexts for their barbarism."

The ACLU has sought the release of 87 photographs and four videotapes
taken at the prison as part of an October 2003 lawsuit demanding information
on the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody and the transfer of prisoners
to countries known to use torture. The ACLU contends that prisoner abuse is
systemic.

The judge said: "Our nation does not surrender to blackmail, and fear of
blackmail is not a legally sufficient argument to prevent us from performing
a statutory command. Indeed, the freedoms that we champion are as important
to our success in Iraq and Afghanistan as the guns and missiles with which
our troops are armed."