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Judge criticizes Pentagon suppression of thousands of Bush-era torture photos
Source: The Guardian
Judge criticizes Pentagon suppression of thousands of Bush-era torture photos
Alvin Hellerstein, who presided over 12-year lawsuit to disclose military
images of detainee abuse, may force further release of photographs in
‘near future’
Spencer Ackerman in New York
Wednesday 11 May 2016 21.12 BST
A federal judge has sharply rebuked the Pentagon for the process by which it concealed hundreds of Bush-era photos showing US military personnel torturing detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan, suggesting Barack Obama may have to release even more graphic imagery of abuse.
Alvin Hellerstein, the senior judge who has presided over a transparency lawsuit for the photos that has lasted more than 12 years, expressed dissatisfaction over the Pentagon’s compliance with an order he issued last year requiring a case-by-case ruling that release of an estimated 1,800 photographs would endanger US troops.
“We don’t know the methodology, we don’t know what was reviewed, we don’t know the criteria, we don’t know the numbers,” Hellerstein said during an hour-long hearing on Wednesday.
Hellerstein said he would formally rule on the matter in the “near future”, a process that may compel the Pentagon to disclose additional photographs.
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Alvin Hellerstein, who presided over 12-year lawsuit to disclose military
images of detainee abuse, may force further release of photographs in
‘near future’
Spencer Ackerman in New York
Wednesday 11 May 2016 21.12 BST
A federal judge has sharply rebuked the Pentagon for the process by which it concealed hundreds of Bush-era photos showing US military personnel torturing detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan, suggesting Barack Obama may have to release even more graphic imagery of abuse.
Alvin Hellerstein, the senior judge who has presided over a transparency lawsuit for the photos that has lasted more than 12 years, expressed dissatisfaction over the Pentagon’s compliance with an order he issued last year requiring a case-by-case ruling that release of an estimated 1,800 photographs would endanger US troops.
“We don’t know the methodology, we don’t know what was reviewed, we don’t know the criteria, we don’t know the numbers,” Hellerstein said during an hour-long hearing on Wednesday.
Hellerstein said he would formally rule on the matter in the “near future”, a process that may compel the Pentagon to disclose additional photographs.
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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/11/pentagon-military-torture-photos-george-w-bush-war-on-terror
