Home>News Center>World
         
 

Judge orders release of Abu Ghraib photos
(AP)
Updated: 2005-09-30 10:26

A federal judge Thursday ordered the release of dozens more pictures of prisoners being abused at Abu Ghraib, rejecting government arguments that the images would provoke terrorists and incite violence against U.S. troops in Iraq.

U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein said that terrorists "do not need pretexts for their barbarism" and that suppressing the pictures would amount to submitting to blackmail.

"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," he said.

Hellerstein ordered the release of 74 pictures and three videotapes from the Abu Ghraib prison, potentially opening the military up to more embarrassment from a scandal that stirred outrage around the world last year when photos of 2003 abuse became public.

The photographs covered by Thursday's ruling were taken by a soldier. A military policeman who saw them turned them over to the Army. Some may be duplicates of photos already seen by the public.

An appeal of Hellerstein's ruling is expected, which could delay release of the pictures for months.

Judge orders release of Abu Ghraib photos
Iraqi artist Salah Edine Sallat puts the final touches to a wall painting based on the US Statue of Liberty and a widely published photograph of an abused detainee at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad's Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City. [AFP/file]
Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. Central Command, said Thursday that releasing the photos would hinder his work against terrorism.

"When we continue to pick at the wound and show the pictures over and over again it just creates the image — a false image — like this is the sort of stuff that is happening anew, and it's not," Abizaid said.

The American Civil Liberties Union sought release of the photographs and videotapes 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.

"It's a historic ruling, said ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero. "While no one wants to see what's on the photos or videos, they will play an essential role in holding our government leaders accountable for the torture that's happened on their watch."

The government argued that America's enemies might exploit the pictures for propaganda purposes by saying the photos represent the attitudes of all Americans toward the Iraqi people.

The judge acknowledged such a risk but said "the education and debate that such publicity will foster will strengthen our purpose, and, by enabling such deficiencies as may be perceived to be debated and corrected, show our strength as a vibrant and functioning democracy to be emulated."

Bridget F. Kelly, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan, said her office was reviewing the ruling and considering its options.

Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had argued in court papers that releasing the photographs would aid al-Qaida recruitment, weaken the Afghan and Iraqi governments and incite riots against American troops.

But the judge said: "My task is not to defer to our worst fears, but to interpret and apply the law, in this case, the Freedom of Information Act, which advances values important to our society, transparency and accountability in government."

The ACLU had sought the release of 87 photographs and four videotapes altogether. The judge viewed the pictures and videotapes and ordered some of them edited. Romero said those images apparently contained so many redactions that they would have been unintelligible.

The judge said the pictures were important because they were the best evidence of what happened and because they "initiate debate, not only about the improper and unlawful conduct of American soldiers, `rogue' soldiers, as they have been characterized, but also about other important questions as well."



USS Park Royal crew await for Rice
Coffin of Milosevic flew to Belgrade
Kidnapping spree in Gaza Strip
 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Australia, US, Japan praise China for Asia engagement

 

   
 

Banker: China doing its best on flexible yuan

 

   
 

Hopes high for oil pipeline deal

 

   
 

Possibilities of bird flu outbreaks reduced

 

   
 

Milosevic buried after emotional farewell

 

   
 

China considers trade contracts in India

 

   
  Journalist's alleged killers held in Iraq
   
  No poisons found in Milosevic's body
   
  US, Britain, France upbeat on Iran agreement
   
  Fatah officials call for Abbas to resign
   
  Sectarian violence increases in Iraq
   
  US support for troops in Iraq hits new low
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 调教女m视频免费区| 一区二区三区免费看| 欧美日韩精品一区二区三区不卡| 国产农村乱子伦精品视频| 波多野结衣第一页| 国产高清乱理论片在线看| 一区二区三区四区视频在线| 无码人妻丰满熟妇区五十路| 久久精品国产亚洲av麻豆| 欧美乱人伦视频| 亚洲欧美中文日韩在线| 男人操女人免费| 午夜天堂一区人妻| 青青青国产在线视频| 国产成人综合久久久久久| 在线日本妇人成熟| 国产自无码视频在线观看| 99国产精品免费观看视频| 女人让男生桶的视频免费| 一级特黄录像免费播放中文版| 无码精品人妻一区二区三区影院 | 精品久久久久久无码中文字幕| 国产99re在线观看只有精品| 青青草成人免费| 国产成人19禁在线观看| 麻豆国产一区二区在线观看| 国产精品久久久久免费视频| 2021最新热播欧美极品| 国内大量揄拍人妻精品視頻| 99任你躁精品视频| 天堂影院www陈冠希张柏芝| 一个人看的www免费高清中文字幕 一个人看的www免费高清中文字幕 | 男人影院天堂网址| 免费无码一区二区三区蜜桃大| 精品国产三级a在线观看| 喷出巨量精子系列在线观看| 草莓视频在线免费观看下载| 国产乱码精品一区三上| 西西人体www44rt大胆高清| 国产做床爱无遮挡免费视频| 青青草97国产精品免费观看|