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American Legion: Releasing Photos Could Cost Lives

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by basso, May 8, 2009.

  1. basso

    basso Member
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    "Transparency" or Soldiers' lives? Obama has boxed himself in...

    [rquoter]Photos That Could Cost Lives
    There is nothing to be learned from more images of detainee abuse.
    By DAVID K. REHBEIN

    A picture may be worth a thousand words, but is it worth the death of a single American soldier? Is any photograph worth the life of your Marine Corps daughter? Or your neighbor's deployed husband?

    I would like to concede that these are tough questions, but they are really quite simple. The answer is a resounding "No." Releasing photographs of alleged or actual detainee abuse in the War on Terrorism is not worth the life of a single American. Of course, as some have noted, the incidents at Abu Ghraib have already endangered our troops. So did any orders and policies that may have led to those incidents. But what is to be accomplished by continuing to provide ammunition and provocation to the enemy?

    At issue is the Pentagon's decision -- in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) -- to release a "substantial number" of images depicting the treatment of detainees by May 28 after being ordered by a judge on the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York to do so. But given the riots that occurred after the release of the first round of Abu Ghraib photos and the enemy's penchant for using such images for propaganda and recruiting purposes, the Defense Department owes it to the soldiers to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in order to block the release of these photos.

    Gen. Richard B. Myers, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, voiced his concern about the dangers of releasing photos in 2005. "It is probable that al Qaeda and other groups will seize upon these images and videos as grist for their propaganda mill, which will result in, besides violent attacks, increased terrorist recruitment, continued financial support and exacerbation of tensions between Iraqi and Afghani populaces and U.S. and coalition forces," he said in a statement in support of the Pentagon's efforts to oppose the ACLU's request. He added, "riots, violence and attacks by insurgents will result."

    I was deeply disturbed by the images of Abu Ghraib. The military, however, has investigated the abuses and punished those involved. Moreover, the photographs that are now about to be released are already being used for investigative purposes. Other than self-flagellation by certain Americans, riots and future terrorist acts, what else do people expect will come from the release of these photographs?

    Sen. Kit Bond (R., Mo.) warned of serious repercussions recently on "Fox News Sunday." "I don't think there's any question it will endanger all of us, because I think it will enhance recruitment for all kinds of terrorists willing to come after us," he said.

    Whether or not the photographs contribute to another attack on American soil remains to be seen. We do know, however, that it will be our troops who will most likely pay the price. We hope that others in Congress heed Mr. Bond's concerns and not politicize a dangerous issue.

    This is not so much a matter of "the people's right to know" as it is a matter of needlessly endangering the lives of our brave troops -- 99% of whom have had no role in any interrogations or allegations of detainee abuse.

    As commander of the nation's largest veterans service organization, I have had the honor to present Blue Star Banners to military families, with the Blue Star signifying the deployment of a service member. It is always a moving experience. But it is the Gold Star Banner, the star that signifies the death of a service member in war, that I never hope to present. I fear that there will be many Gold Stars as a result of this misbegotten policy.

    Mr. Rehbein is national commander of the American Legion.[/rquoter]
     
  2. FranchiseBlade

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    And yet one more reason why detainee abuse is bad. Don't do it, and there is no need to stifle transparency. Once again detainee abuse causes danger to our troops and their families.
     
  3. Major

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    Not really. The article makes the huge assumption that there is more damage being done by releasing the photos than by not doing so - which is not at all clear. Sometimes, transparency is key to making stories less powerful rather than more so.

    Both McCain and Petraeus have said that Abu Ghraib served as the #1 recruiting tool for AQ-in-Iraq. Maybe finally having full transparency will help move the world past it and save lives in the long-run.

    I do, however, recognize that this idea of looking beyond a one-day time horizon is not a concept you're terribly familiar with, so this may be hard to grasp. Same reason why you're OK with torture despite the long-term damage it has done, and why you tried to play down Abu Ghraib at the time thinking that if you pretended it wasn't a big deal, it wouldn't be.
     
  4. SamFisher

    SamFisher Member

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    For the kind of jackass who supports torture you sure are a wimp about acknowledging it.

    Stop being such a pantywaist. If you like torture then deal with the consequences.
     
  5. Major

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    Don't you understand, though? If we just torture but *pretend* we don't, then everything will be great! People accuse us of torture? Just call it an "enhanced interrogation". Photos appear? Just hide them! Then no one will use it as a recruiting tool. Simple, no?
     
  6. mc mark

    mc mark Member

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    Maybe, just maybe we should have thought about that before we started torturing.
     

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