Real images of torture

           

               The ACLU, New York Times, and other liberally minded institutions, like rabid cats have been hissing, screeching and scratching, demanding the administration release the infamous CIA torture photos. Barack Obama, in a moment of clarity has pledged not to disclose the surely inflammatory images. While even a blind squirrel can find an acorn every once and a while, Obama’s propensity for amnesia, forgetting past promises, remains a concern.

Last week, House leaders were forced to remove a provision in the $105.9 billion emergency war-funding bill for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan that would have outlawed the release of the CIA photos. The rider to the bill, sponsored by Senators Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman was deemed an impediment to passage; as virulently anti-war Democrats, receiving intense pressure from their left-wing base, stayed steadfast in their opposition to the provision. Since the revocation of the Graham-Lieberman amendment, Republicans have called on President Obama to deal with the matter directly. In a written statement, Senator John McCain had strong words for the administration, “President Obama can and should resolve this issue today by classifying the photographs through executive action,” He stated further that he was “disappointed” with House Democrats. As of yet the White House has made no move toward advancing an executive order. "He just won't sign it," Graham said last week. "I don't know why, unless he just doesn't want to anger the left." 

With all the cries of outrage over the lack of transparency and unconscionable “violations” of human rights it seems reasonable to question to what positive end the release of said documents would lead. There is no doubt that the inflammatory nature of the images would result in mass uprisings across the Muslim world and put the nation’s brave soldiers at further, unnecessary, risk. What good can come of this?