President Obama has changed his mind and decided to oppose the release of photos showing alleged abuse of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan.One of the reasons why the Administration had agreed to release them is that their lawyers had concluded that there was no good legal grounds on which to contest the release.
So, for now, the pictures will stay out of sight, but we all know that the Bush Administration encouraged people to commit illegal and horrible atrocities. Hiding the photographs does not change that. The mantra of the Obama Administration seems to be "we believe in full disclosure, except when it is inconvenient to do so."
In that way, there is no difference between the Obama and the Bush Administrations, other than quibbling about where the line is drawn.
I'm guessing he did it to soothe the hurt butts of the Army Brass who were reeling from McKiernan getting shit-canned in Afghanistan.
ReplyDeleteOne of these days we will have a President who chooses principle over expedience. Sadly, I expect said President to be assassinated minutes after he makes that choice...
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, the Kossite Messiah has shown he has the morality of a Republican when we needed the morality of a liberal. What a shame.
- Badtux the Saddened Penguin
He was told what to say and he did just that.
ReplyDeleteI think Obama was just throwing the right-wingnuts a bone so he'd seem less complicit when Eric Holder ends up indicting those criminal Bush/Dick bastards.
ReplyDeleteIt's a little early to start doubting his politcal savvy or his ability to play to win.