Spending Bill Includes Provision to Block Release of Abuse Photos

TruthOut by by: Jason Leopold, | Oct. 10, 2009 (News Report)
US Supreme Court justices are expected to meet Friday to decide whether to take up the case.

Conferees on the Senate and House Appropriations Committees released a Homeland Security spending bill summary, which includes a provision that would allow President Obama to authorize "the Secretary of Defense to bar the release of detainee photos," essentially exempting the images from Freedom of Information Act requests. Full Story »

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Dwight Rousu
4.6
 by Dwight Rousu - Oct. 11, 2009

Good tracking of an important subject. Leopold uncovers the story that congress is conspiring to pass a law that allows the administration to hide evidence that shows it's own illegal behavior. The arguments and the appeals court decision against withholding photos of war crimes are provided.

Contact your congress critters and complain.

“It is plainly insufficient to claim that releasing documents could reasonably be expected to endanger some unspecified member of a group so vast as to encompass all United States troops, coalition forces, and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan,” the appeals court panel of judges ruled.

The appeals court further added that releasing “the photographs is likely to further the purposes of the Geneva Conventions by deterring future abuse of prisoners.”

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