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.”

According to New Yorker writer Seymour Hersh, the photos are going to contain
images far worse than those previously seen. Not only do they contain further
images of beatings and ridicule, but go as far as showing children being raped.
In some cases the audio track is blistering as you hear young boys shrieking
from the pain of being sodomized all while the cameras were rolling.
Boing
Boing has more on this disgusting ordeal.