FURIOUS BUSH DEMANDS TO SEE ALL PRISONER ABUSE PHOTOS, VIDEOS

Drudge ^ | 5/9/04 | Matt Drudge

[demkicker]

A furious President Bush has demanded to see all photos and videos showing abuse of Iraq detainees, a senior White House source said late Sunday.

"The president was blindsided by the first TV images, he will not be blindsided again," the source, who demanded anonymity, explained to the DRUDGE REPORT.

The president has instructed Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to present him with him all known images that could further deepen the crises.

Monday editions of the NEW YORKER feature photos of a dog attacking a naked Iraqi detainee at Abu Ghraib prison.

President Bush was aware of the photo, the top source claims.

The White House is preparing for more fallout, and leaks from lawmakers.

The Pentagon is considering the possibility of showing the unseen material to members of Congress.

"It's clear the moment the evidence is sent to the Congress, we will see a new feeding frenzy in the media."

[demkicker]

Geeze, I'm thinking that Bush maybe going overboard. He needs to get on offense and make it plain to the media that any further leaking of photos of the Iraqi prison abuse will only serve to hurt our military men and women. He needs to emphasize that the culprits of the abuse are going to be tried. Any further pictures or videos will only poison our efforts and Bush needs to articulate that to the American people.

[ServesURight]

Totally agree. After saying that this sort of thing won't be tolerated and the guilty will be punished, he should have also said that this should be kept in perspective, that remember, we're dealing with scumbag terrorists, and that left-wing idiots are using this against him.

Newsmax totally ripped the administration over this hand-wringing in a kick-ass article. A must read.

[Ciexyz]

I rented a film made by the BBC titled "Bravo Two Zero", about the first Gulf War, in which a British ranger team is captured by Saddam's men and tortured. One of the torturers says to a British soldier, "This is NOT Geneva." This is based on a true story, the war memoirs of Andy McNabb.

[AmericanInTokyo]

I see your point. However, it may be the only way at this time to keep out ahead of the story, (with more trouble to come for sure), to avoid having his ass kicked by John Kerry in November.

At any rate, as CiC, it is his perogative....and I trust him more than I would Bill Clinton in getting to the bottom of it with the intent of restoring a clean image to all in uniform.

[XEHRpa]

When Rummy's testimony the other day revealed that Hillary knew about the photos well before Rummy, it only makes good sense that Bush wants a full data dump. It is clear that, for the DemocRATs, this is no longer a military issue but a political one. Bush has just issued the "shields up" command, hopefully not too late.

[oceanview]

indeed, but are all the photos even available to the Pentagon? Media outlets are surely is sole possesion of some of them - perhaps facilitated in getting them through Democrats as you note.

the story regarding the leak of this information will get zero media attention.

[Jim_Curtis]

Geeze, I'm thinking that Bush maybe going overboard. He needs to get on offense and make it plain to the media that any further leaking of photos of the Iraqi prison abuse will only serve to hurt our military men and women.
****
Either that or they better the F find out what homo-erotica libs are behind the photos. Is it just me that senses that it looks like a demonic-rat behind this crap? It looks like this whole last week is something some Harvard professor dreamed up.

[Senator Pardek]

Good grief - who writes this stuff? The President is already quite aware of the photos/videos chronicling the misdeeds by individuals that exist out there.

[Jorge]

A furious President Bush has demanded to see all photos and videos showing abuse of Iraq detainees...

This is great PR. We wouldn't want to think Bush is laughing at the photos of Iraqi prisoners on leashes like most the rest of us are.

[oceanview]

how do you know? we have no idea what is out there, in totality. events could have been staged and filmed, anyone can wear a US army uniform and be filmed from the neck down raping an iraqi teenager.

[jveritas]

The Bush campaign should go on a very agressive PR offensive and release all the torture videos and photos of Saddam Hussein regime. The people need to see what is "real torture and abuse". Also if they have something damaging about Kerry self admitted war atrocities, they must give it to a friendly media outlet and let all hell break loose.

[Senator Pardek]

The president has instructed Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to present him with him all known images that could further deepen the crises.

Ya really think Rumsfeld hasn't done this already?

"I'm sorry Mr. President - we've been real busy at the Pentagon lately - I promise to have this stuff on your desk by the end of the week."

[oceanview]

my point is, there may be photos that exist that are outside the Pentagon's control.

[sinkspur]

Geeze, I'm thinking that Bush maybe going overboard. He needs to get on offense and make it plain to the media that any further leaking of photos of the Iraqi prison abuse will only serve to hurt our military men and women.

The genie's out of the bottle These photos are at least in Seymour Hersh's hands, and will likely become public.

The only upside to any of this whole sordid mess is that John Kerry is kept off the front pages.

[BenLurkin]

My guess: Rumsfeld has already handed in his resignation. Bush is holding it - waiting to make the decision to accpet, or not.

[DrDeb]

Let's identify who is going "overboard": It's not the President; it's the media, Democrats, anti-war zealots, and self-absorbed Senators who want to use this issue to damage the President (and the military) during an election year!

I suggest you call the following senators and inform them that they must SUPPORT our troops/war effort NOT use their positions on the ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE to destroy both!

John Warner (R-Virginia)
Chair, Armed Services Committee
202.224.2023

Carl Levin (D-Michigan)
Ranking Member, Armed Services Committee
202.224.6221

REPUBLICANS

John McCain (Arizona)
202.224.2235

James Inhofe (Oklahoma)
202.224.4721

Pat Roberts (Kansas)
202.224.4774

Wayne Allard (Colorado)
202.224.5941

Jeff Sessions (Alabama)
202.224.4124

Susan Collins (Maine)
202.224.2523

John Ensign (Nevada)
202.224.6244

James Talent (Missouri)
202.224.6154

Saxby Chambliss (Georgia)
202.224.3521

Lindsey Graham (S. Carolina)
202.224.5972

Elizabeth Dole (N. Carolina)
202.224.6342

John Cornyn (Texas)
202.224.2934

DEMOCRATS

Ed Kennedy (Massachusetts)
202.224.4543

Robert Byrd (West Virginia)
202.224.3954

Joseph Lieberman (Connecticut)
202.224.4041

Jack Reed (Rhode Island)
202.224.4642

Daniel Akaka (Hawaii)
202.224.6361

Bill Nelson (Florida)
202.224.5274

E. Benjamin Nelson (Nebraska)
202.224.6551

Mark Dayton (Minnesota)
202.224.3244

Evan Bayh (Indiana)
202.224.5623

Hillary Clinton (New York)
202.224.4451

Mark Pryor (Arkansas)
202.224.2353

[sinkspur]

how do you know? we have no idea what is out there, in totality. events could have been staged and filmed, anyone can wear a US army uniform and be filmed from the neck down raping an iraqi teenager.

Any evidence that any of this was "staged"? Every single one of the participants in the photos released so far has been identified as a service member or an outsourced civilian.

Don't kid yourself; these are our guys, doing unbelieveably dumb things.

[oceanview]

Kerry doesn't need to be on the front pages - this issue is his campaign. there is nothing left to run on, the economic improvements are well under way (gas prices aside). Iraq is it, its the only issue left.

[sinkspur]

My guess: Rumsfeld has already handed in his resignation. Bush is holding it - waiting to make the decision to accpet, or not.

I think you're right, and, unfortunately, I believe that, within a month, Bush will accept it.