Should Obama Release These Photos?Follow

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I'm kinda torn. I know the majority of our boys & girls over seas are doing their best & don't do the stuff these pictures show. I agree with the sentiment that "it was a few bad apples" among the bunch.

But if there's 400 more pictures, it's a bit more pervasive than previously thought. If releasing them would in anyway help prevent this stuff from happening in the future, I'd be for their release.

But I don't think it will.

I also agree with the idea that their release will give the enemy another weapon to work with & rally behind.

But can we really trust the government and military to "deal" with these people appropriately? I can't. Especially when the dude mentioned above that raped another guy is involved in a civil lawsuit & not a criminal one...

Fuck it, it's too big for me. Thoughts?

Edited, May 29th 2009 5:42am by Omegavegeta

I'm struggling to understand what positive outcome could result from releasing these pictures. It will hurt American morale amongst troops, it will certainly stoke up hatred and resentment in the Muslim (and some parts of the non-Muslim) world, and will only fuel the AQ propaganda machine.

I understand the desire for breaking-up with the past, and starting with a clean slate, but in practice, I can't see how this would be acieved through the release of those pictures. So yeah, I voted "No".

And I'm sorry, but I don't really buy the "few bad apples" scenario. Or, if that's the case, there are a hell of a lot of bad apples. Human pyramids are one thing, but rape of female prisoners? Inserting objects into the **** of male prisoners? And then filming all this stuff? That's absolutely unforgivable. Can you imagine the outrage in the US if other countries did this to captured US soldiers?

And I can't help but think that there was a culture of impunity and a pervasive arrogance that went through the ranks of the US Army at the time, a climate which facilitated the committing of these horrendous acts. It's really, really sick. I know war is never pretty, but some of the stuff we're hearing about the behaviour of some US soldiers in Iraq is an absolute disgrace.

Especially when you know that Abu-Graib was the most notorious Saddam prison, where the worst kinds of abuses, torture, rapes, and murders, happened under the watchful eye of Saddam's henchmen. That the US should choose this very prison, with everything it represents for Iraqis, to commit those acts, is doubly insulting. The US invasion was supposed to be a break from the Saddam era, and yet, prisoners foudn themselves subjugated to similar treatment as before. The only difference being that the henchmen were American instead of Iraqi. Sick.

No, not really.

**** on its own, maybe.

No, I don't think they should be released. Really, why do we need to see pictures of abuse and torture? We admit they exist, and they should be displayed ONLY at the trial of those involved. Why does the public need to see them? What purpose would it serve? The disturbing thing, to me, is that we've only learned of them now (or of the abuse at least). Who cares about the pictures themselves - the abuse is the horrible thing. EVERYONE from our side involved in these acts should be in jail.

The point of the original photos was to show what was going on in Abu Ghraib, especially against the GOP's insistance that there was nothing really bad occuring (why, no worse than frat pranks!) and to serve as the catalyst to shut Abu Ghraib down.

That being accomplished, I don't see a real point to making the remainder of the photos public.

Do you really think it would have inspired wide public action? I don't know myself, but I don't think I'd have been too hopeful.

I'd be as happy with a totally candid report or something that acknowledged the gross ignorance and set forth a comprehensive plan of what can be done in reparation, lists of legal action taken, that sort of thing. Pictures maybe worth 1000 words but a lot of words could be just as good so long as justice is served.

See, I don't think it would have done that. Offended people would have still been offended, deniers would still deny. The American public would, by the large, make a show of being angered, the left would have more political fodder but in the end would have to deal with the only "real" result: more images given to the ME of how Americans treat them like sh*t.

It's a good idea for the Obama administration NOT to show the pictures because:
A. The knowledge that they exist is enough to **** off any Americans that would get pissed off by abuse.
B. Anyone who already believes Bush and Co's war was holy isn't going to change their minds from these pictures.
C. The current administration already has plenty to bash the previous one on.
D. The real result of these pictures would be outrage from the Middle East, not at home. And those in the Middle East seem to be much more willing to strap bombs on to make a point than the average American is willing to do something. That this occurred during the last administration and not the current one will not matter to anyone willing to blow themselves up over this outrage. It's "America" who did this, not "the Bush administration": that's how it would be portrayed in the Middle East.

I don't think the pictures should be hidden; they should be used as evidence at the trials of all the soldiers (and their immediate superiors) involved. But they should not be given to the public as outrage ****. Hell, if there were pictures of ME getting raped, I wouldn't want the public to see; why the hell should they?

This.

IF there were any possibility that the viewing of these pics by the world masses would somehow halt or lessen inhumane treatment of future pow's, errr, detainees, I'd say go for it. In reality, however, I suspect it will just **** people off and provide fresh new ideas for the worlds sickos.

Varrus, I would genuinely love to hear what you think about these pictures, what should be done with them, and with the people who committed these acts. And maybe what should be done with the people responsible for the supervision of the people who committed these acts.

We won. We gets to rape the womminz, pillage the village and pee in the palace.

Red,



To see if I'll be disgusted and repulsed? No one is advocating rape or mutilation.

I thought he meant verifying that they exist, not whether they were justified. Too much credit? Too little?

Yeah, to understand how you see the situation. Do you think the perpetrators should be tried? In criminal courts? Do you think the photos should be released? Why do think this kind of stuff went on? Just your general opinion, since you're the only one around that doesn't hate the military, apparently.