Posted on 05/26/2005 6:45:33 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
NEW YORK (AP) - A federal judge has told the government it will have to release additional pictures of detainee abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, civil rights lawyers said.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein, finding the public has a right to see the pictures, told the government Thursday he will sign an order requiring it to release them to the American Civil Liberties Union, the lawyers said.
The judge made the decision after he and government attorneys privately viewed a sampling of nine pictures resulting from an Army probe into abuse and torture at the prison. The pictures were given to the Army by a military policeman assigned there.
ACLU lawyer Megan Lewis told the judge she believes the government has pictures of abuse beyond the Abu Ghraib images that sparked outrage around the world after they were leaked to the media last year.
Some of the thousands of pages of documents the government has released to the ACLU seem to refer to such images, and the government has not denied that additional photos exist, she said.
The judge decided some pictures from Abu Graib could be released to comply with the Freedom of Information Act while others must be redacted or were not relevant to the ACLU's request, Lewis said.
She said the judge's findings likely would clear the way for the release of other pictures of detainees taken around the world by U.S. authorities.
"I do think they could be extremely upsetting and depict conduct that would outrage the American public and be truly horrifying," she said outside court.
The judge ordered the transcript of comments made during his viewing of the pictures sealed. He did not disclose his findings in court, but said his order "will lead to production (of the pictures) or further proceedings."
"Further proceedings" presumably referred to possible appeals by government lawyers, who declined to comment as they left the hearing. A message left with a government spokeswoman was not immediately returned.
Before viewing the pictures, the judge said in court that he thought "photographs present a different level of detail and are the best evidence the public can have of what occurred."
Government lawyer Sean Lane argued that releasing pictures, even if faces and other features are obscured, would violate Geneva Convention rules on prisoner treatment by subjecting detainees to additional humiliation or embarrassment. He said the emotional wounds would be reopened because detainees could identify themselves and because the public would learn their identities.
The judge, however, said, "I don't believe with suitable redaction there is an unwarranted invasion of privacy." He also said he didn't think it was likely that detainees in redacted photos would be able to be identified.
The judge's decision stems from a lawsuit the ACLU filed in October 2003 seeking information on 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.
So far, 36,000 pages of documents and the reports of 130 investigations, mostly from the FBI and Army, have been turned over to the ACLU. The group is seeking documents from the CIA and the Defense Department as well.
Let's make a deal. The judge goes on a fact finding mission in Pakistan at the time the judge's order is fulfilled and no other U.S personnel are involved. The judge should get the same level of protection as other Amercian citizens abroad get when this dangerous order is filled.
The ACLU is already pre damned!
Their agenda appears treasanous..
Why are the transcripts of comments of the Judge being seal??
Don't the american people have a right to view them??
So now we have Judge Hellerstein ruling that the US is NOT subject to the Geneva Conventions!
If there weren't lives at stake, these judges would hilarious. Hilarious Hellerstein, Professional Pretzel Maker.
Fine, Alvin, as long as we get to see the photos of you getting spanked by Mistress Dominiqe at the Pleasure Dungeon.
It won't work, but they want to keep this 'atrocity' in the minds of the American people, so they keep forcing it and extending it to keep it public.
Interesting fantasies you have though........
Aren't we bored with this yet? Let the judge take them to the middle east and show them off there.
Your words reflect my feelings.
I'm tired of people here saying "Golly Gee, don't these people get it...we're at war!"
WAKE UP PEOPLE, THE ENEMY WITHIN IS ALIVE, WELL, AND EMBOLDENED!
The only salvation is, I know there will be a time when these people will pay for their deeds.
LOL, fat chance. These people are such idiots...NO ONE cares about Abu Gharib!
Does Judge Hellerstein have jurisdiction?
Which is why they should be deported.
This is my most "humane" solution. You can imagine what the more extreme solutions would be, I can't post them on this site for fear of getting banned.
Freaking judge doesn't have a brain in his head. I suppose he would like a fresh round of violence over there and wouldn't mind having blood on his hands.
yet we don't have the right to see Micheal's Member...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/26/AR2005052600245_pf.html
Cyber, excellent point.....release pictures of the torture Saddam and his sons inflicted on his own people! Think I'll email ACLU and the "good" CA judge demanding this.
Not to mention the pictures of the beheadings.
You wrote--> I demand that PBS broadcast pictures and videos of a partial birth abortion.""
Excellent idea!!! Haven't people been arrested before for showing photos of aborted babies or maybe it was aborted babies in bottles? It's so obvious why Planned Parenthood and the ACLU doesn't want the public to see the REAL horror of abortion.
A few years ago, I'd tell people about Partial Birth Abortion, only to be told I was nuts. They'd say - "There was no way that kind of thing could be going on." Well, I wasn't nuts. It's a horror that is beyond words. There's no stinking way PBA is done for the life of the woman, imo. That doesn't even make sense. It's barbaric and the public needs to know the truth.
The myth that it's really not a baby would disappear instantly and that's exactly what they are afraid of. I'd like to also see some coverage on how the Islamic world treats the Bible and Christians. Guess I shouldn't hold my breath on that one. It doesn't fit into the agenda of the MSM.
Hmm...so, it sounds like the problem many of you have is that the photos exist and the judge wants them released....not that the sadistic activity actually took place.
In your opinion, when would it be permissible to release these pictures? In a few years? 20 years? Never? And is the behavior that is said to be portrayed in the pictures acceptable to you, as long as the pictures are not released?
Do you agree with Rush?
From the May 4 Rush Limbaugh Show, titled "It's Not About Us; This Is War!":
CALLER: It was like a college fraternity prank that stacked up naked men --
LIMBAUGH: Exactly. Exactly my point! This is no different than what happens at the Skull and Bones initiation and we're going to ruin people's lives over it and we're going to hamper our military effort, and then we are going to really hammer them because they had a good time. You know, these people are being fired at every day. I'm talking about people having a good time, these people, you ever heard of emotional release? You ever heard of need to blow some steam off?
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