ACLU 'have 60,000 documents of US torture and abuse'
NEW YORK -- In legal papers unsealed today, the American Civil Liberties Union urged a federal court to order the release of photographs and videos that depict the abuse and torture of prisoners in U.S. custody at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The ACLU also asked the court to reject the government's attempt to file some of its legal arguments in secret.
"The ACLU shares everyone's deep concern about the dangers facing American soldiers in Iraq and elsewhere," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. "The actions depicted in these photos and videos demonstrate the failure of American leaders who placed our young men and women in compromising situations and are now seeking to blame them for it. The real shame here is that our leaders left our troops out on a limb and now they are hiding behind a veil of rank and government office to avoid accountability."
Romero noted that until the first photos of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib were made public in April 2004, the government had consistently denied that any wrongdoing had taken place despite news reports to the contrary. Since then, the ACLU has obtained through a court order more than 60,000 pages of government documents regarding torture and abuse of detainees.
Despite this evidence, the government continues to minimize the extent of the torture and to describe it as the action of a few rogue soldiers.
In response, the ACLU has called for an independent counsel with subpoena power to investigate the torture scandal, including the role of senior policymakers, and has filed a separate lawsuit to hold Secretary Rumsfeld and high-ranking military officers accountable
"The ACLU shares everyone's deep concern about the dangers facing American soldiers in Iraq and elsewhere," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. "The actions depicted in these photos and videos demonstrate the failure of American leaders who placed our young men and women in compromising situations and are now seeking to blame them for it. The real shame here is that our leaders left our troops out on a limb and now they are hiding behind a veil of rank and government office to avoid accountability."
Romero noted that until the first photos of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib were made public in April 2004, the government had consistently denied that any wrongdoing had taken place despite news reports to the contrary. Since then, the ACLU has obtained through a court order more than 60,000 pages of government documents regarding torture and abuse of detainees.
Despite this evidence, the government continues to minimize the extent of the torture and to describe it as the action of a few rogue soldiers.
In response, the ACLU has called for an independent counsel with subpoena power to investigate the torture scandal, including the role of senior policymakers, and has filed a separate lawsuit to hold Secretary Rumsfeld and high-ranking military officers accountable
posted by _H_ at 12:05 am
8 Comments:
H, you and I both know this is crap. the ACLU should be the AACLU (Anti-American Civil Liberties Union).
They will stop at nothing to try and impede all efforts by our country to protect itself or its citizens. These are the some people suing the NY subway system for bag checks. Everything they do is centered around publicity and fundraising.
out of those sixty pages, my guess is they really have 2 incidents that would really make the world cringe. And those two incidents have already been tried, with resulting convictions.
These guys are the worst armpit of "patriotism" the world has yet seen. They would gladly sell out our country to any enemy, and then in the aftermath, blame those whos hands they tied, for inaction.
Really read more into these guys, and you will see that they consistantly support EVERY low-life, anti-moral, bottom feeder in the nation. You will also start to see some of the strong communist and socalist ties they have.
The fact that they have global media coverage is just sick.
to be honest G i dont know alot about them or there history but who ever they are (havn't heard of them over here) as they say they have obtained 60,000 documents by court order is quite a claim . and do not think (like every other post i do) that by putting it here i accept it all as true .. i have no idea , i present here exactly what they are stating .. it is a hell of a claim .. and you can't dismiss someone who makes such a claim without investigation (i have done done)
they obviously found a judge or whatever that allowed them these files and they i assume applied for them under the FOIA
if like you say G they are wrong and talking rubish then i am sure it will come out , but if 1 or 2 or 50 or whatever are of real concern then surely you would want that to be routed out wouldnt you ?
my point is that you obviously dis like this group .. i have no opinion of them at all , i dont know them .. so i go with the facts that i can see
60,00 documents that are 'claimed' to be connected to torture , and court has released them
i dont feel the need to jump at them or defend them at this point .. it is a claim and time will tell
if they are wrong then they lose credibility .. i will hold fire on this one for now
They sway back and forth with creditability depending on the American public's current desire for governement bashing. We go in tides of high and low enthusiasim to beat up our governemnt. Originally this group was on the forefront of civil liberty rights, but for the last 10 years or so, they have degenerated to nothing more then publicity whores. And they really are the enemy within. No matter what threat we face, they will consistantly stop anything that could be percieved by the smallest minority as an infringment upon civil liberties. Reguardless if the potential "victim" is a US citizen or not, if Nation or Local governments are involved, they jump in with huge legal teams (that cost insane ammounts of money). Their root cause has goon from defending the rights of Americans to fundraising and political activism.
Many times, this stuff gets dismissed because it is just more "pomp and circumstance" than anything. But you can bet your bottom dollar they will rake in hundreds of thousands in fundraising over this stuff.
I love the ACLU. I don't see my government worrying so much about my best interest. G if you had a crazy neighbor who for petty reasons accused you of maybe dealing with terrorists. And they decide because of your past military training that you would be a perfect fit for gitmo. This organization would speak on your behalf, in a place where you have no voice. True they do worry about foreign fighters and such. But can you say for sure that all the prisoners at gitmo are guilty? Is it not possible that maybe some of these prisoners were in the wrong place at the wrong time. To indefinitely imprison people with out a trial, or in such secretive conditions is the exact opposite of freedom and democracy. You have to practice what you preach, and lead by example. Gitmo is a real bad example set by us.
Really? Where are they on CAIR getting D.C. talk show hosts knocked off the air for "offensive to Muslims" content in their radio shows?
And the Gitmo boys, well, if by wrong place and wrong time you mean Afghanistan with a gun in/at Taliban and Al Qeada posts, then I guess.
We act like Gitmo is a new thing. In every war, there are bases set up as POW camps. And POW's never have been given access to lawyers and/or family. We are the only ones (by that I mean the West) who even let the Red Cross/Red Cressent to visit. And now we let in media... just to get balked at by everyone for having a POW camp.
The ACLU is not out for you and me, they are out for any cause that will tear a little more of the fabric of American society. Hence they support ANYTHING that is aginst Christianity, but become champions of religion for Islam.
G .. be fair
of 24 people released from Gitmo to there own countries .. all have been released with 48 hours
example in 2003 three people were sent home to afghan .. two were in there late 70's and one was a forteen year old boy
5 britons released .. all were set free within 24 hours
dont tell me they are terrorists
they are people in the wrong place at the wrong time
all it takes to end up in gitmo is an angry afghan to say you are a terrorist
who the hell is defending there rights ?
Thank you H, for verbalizing what I failed to say. G, how can you say the government is looking out for your best interest more so then ACLU? Also christianity is not some perfect no fault religion in it's self.
I dont claim that phish.. (Catholics have done a number on its reputation). I will get into it later with yall, my wife is calling for my company and some wine.
Phish, stop by, I have a post you and H will both like.
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