Why Obama backed down over Photos

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**sexiest_hero**

I was pretty confused of his change of heart till I stumbled on this gem.

LONDON (Reuters) – Photographs of Iraqi prisoner abuse which U.S. President Barack Obama does not want released include images of apparent rape and sexual abuse, Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Thursday.

The images are among photographs included in a 2004 report into prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison conducted by U.S. Major General Antonio Taguba.

Taguba included allegations of rape and sexual abuse in his report, and on Wednesday he confirmed to the Daily Telegraph that images supporting those allegations were also in the file.

"These pictures show torture, abuse, rape and every indecency," Taguba, who retired in January 2007, was quoted as saying in the paper.

He said he supported Obama's decision not to release them, even though Obama had previously pledged to disclose all images relating to abuses at Abu Ghraib and other U.S.-run prisons in Iraq.

"I am not sure what purpose their release would serve other than a legal one," Taguba said. "The sequence would be to imperil our troops, the only protectors of our foreign policy, when we most need them, and British troops who are trying to build security in Afghanistan.

"The mere depiction of these pictures is horrendous enough, take my word for it."

The newspaper said at least one picture showed an American soldier apparently raping a female prisoner while another is said to show a male translator raping a male detainee.

Others are said to depict sexual assaults with objects including a truncheon, wire and a phosphorescent tube.

The photographs relate to 400 alleged cases of abuse carried out at Abu Ghraib and six other prisons between 2001 and 2005.

What kind of hell did Cheney make over there ( I don't think Bush's heart is black enough for this). Over 400 cases of sexual abuse. Is this what the heric American military become? From World heros to raping muarders in 7 years? What kind of sick fiend would ok this, cover it up, then argue that It's for the nation's good. How does mass rape help anything other than to validate everything the Terrorists say. They had no WMDs, they had no ties to Al' Quidea, Most of all the insergents were from elsewhere. We let the sunnis and shiiats purge each other from cities, took what ever was left threw them in a jail and raped/tortured them with abandon. Not only did Bush lose control of the white house and his party, He lost control of the military he unleashed and the wars he started. I'd expect this from and Warlord or drug czar but not from the military that sends it's soldiers to die halfway around the world for people they don't know. Whatever black hearted snake ok's mass rape deserves to be hauled in front of a war crimes tribunal. Way to stain My honer and the honer of every seviceman and woman to every serve under the flag of freedom and justice, and prove Osama right, jerks.
/rant

**Cheese Elemental**

Well that's a right kick in the balls for the patriots. We always heard about sexual abuse and rape in prison, but I didn't think it was on this scale. Sickening, isn't it?

And you're right, Bush may have been stupid, but it's Cheney who's to blame. Thank God he never became president.

**warpcrafter**

There are rumors that Cheney and Limbaugh are going to run in 2012. That would really be the end of the world. Besides, now that word of the photos is out, knowledge of their existence is bad enough, actually seeing them would not be as bad as what people can imagine. At least I would hope not.

**sebster**

sexiest_hero wrote:Over 400 cases of sexual abuse. Is this what the heric American military become?

Just as a nitpick, from your article it's 400 cases of abuse, including some of rape, not 400 cases of rape.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Cheese Elemental wrote:but it's Cheney who's to blame.

It's never just one guy who is to blame. Many hundreds would have been aware of this, and either did nothing, or condoned, encouraged or directly authorised it. Organisations, especially military and political organisations, are supposed to be able to resist getting a bad egg at the top. That's pretty much the whole idea behind having formal political structures.

**Frazzled**

See if we had nuked them on Sept. 12th, this wouldn't be an issue would it?

**reds8n**

Frazzled wrote:See if we had nuked them on Sept. 12th, this wouldn't be an issue would it?

Nuked who exactly ?

Next time before you type something it would be good if you actually did a little research before spewing forth nonsense.

Indeed.

**Frazzled**

Afghanistan, Pakistan, any of the Stans. I hate Stans.

Ever since Stan cheated me at a game of cards they all just have to go.

**reds8n**

Oh, Stanistan you mean. Fair enough, no argument there.

We could have deployed those rubber tactical nukes.

vaguely back at topic.... Seeing as, AFAIK, the USA has ( and is ..?) prosecuting those who were committing the abhorrent acts mentioned and have taken steps to insure that they won't happen again, I don't see how the release of said pictures would do any more than increase the risk for the 99.9% of the army who didn't and don't commit such acts.

**mcfly**

Well, that's why terrorists shouldn't be terrorists in America.
We'll rape them in prison.

**Frazzled**

Stan the Man was cool though, but yea the other Stans suck.

Seriously though Reds8n is correct. These photos were takien as part of investigations and prosecutions. Releasing them would do nothing but inflame passions and get people killed.

**Tek**

Pretty fethed up though huh?

This makes me think of a recent discussion elsewhere on Dakka about the Stanford Prison Experiment.

Anyone left unaccountable, with all the chips (so to speak) apparently loses all morals and at all times see themselves as doing the right thing.

Even if the right thing is apparently attaching electrical equipment to a young man's genitals.

We certainly live in a fethed up world where the people committing these acts are telling us they are the good guys.

**Frazzled**

They aren't, but the countries they represent, are.

**dietrich**

Part of this is the result of using 'consultants' to conduct interrogations. The Bush Administration 'privatized' the war in Iraq. Which blurred the chain of command and areas of responsibility. It wasn't clear who the consultants were reporting to, and soldiers were directed to follow their orders.

There are some things that the US government shouldn't hire consultants to do. Fighting a war (Blackwater) and conducting interrogations are two of them. In both cases, there needs to be a clear chain of command and responsibility. When you hire an outside firm, it becomes a mess.

**BloodofOrks**

God I hate being right about this stuff. Seriously, if you are curious why the government is doing things that seem to make no sense, think of the most depressing explanation why, and nine time out of ten, there it is.

**Frazzled**

Just blame absolute incompetence, mixed with a helping of CYA and a dash of greed. Answers most questions about, well everything people related (wow I'm a buizzkill today).

**generalgrog**

First of all I'm not condoning what went on in Abu Ghraib. I still believe the decision to use torture was wrong. But I want to point out that the word "allegations" are used a lot in that report. An allegation does not equate to guilt.

GG