Senate OKs war funding, blocks release of detainee pictures

Source: CNN.com

CNN reported yesterday:

"The Senate late Thursday easily passed a $91 billion spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. After stripping it of funds to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and placing restrictions on the transfer of its detainees, the bill was adopted 86 to 3.

"The Senate included an amendment to prevent the public release of photographs that reportedly document the mistreatment of post-Sept. 11 detainees in U.S. custody.

"The language is aimed at preventing a court from ordering their release in response to a freedom of information lawsuit.

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/21/senate-oks-war-funding-blocks-release-of-detainee-pictures/

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Right now saying "Yes we can!" doesn't seem quite the same.

No pun intended.

anger die down and for US troops to be all but gone from Iraq and Afghanistan.

After all, they'd do a number of things, right?

They'd serve a purely political purpose--stoke outrage at repubs. Political payback.

They might serve a dual legal/political purpose--produce enough momentum to actually get a legal process going against */Cheney administration folks and even possibly serve as evidence. For for dems, good for rule of law.

They'd also serve a purely non-US purpose. They'd infuriate ardent Iraqi and Muslim nationalists and then some might well act on their fury. Of course, they're not happy now, but there's a difference between low-level background humiliation and pin-point jabs of humiliation. For Americans and Europeans, this also serves a domestic political purpose.

I find (1) and (3) distasteful; I think (2) is unnecessary and possibly counterproductive, however satisfying the urge for justice (not as in any "social" justice sense, but in its older "mercy rejoiceth against justice" sense).

Because they just carry hate and anger and the worse things, the imagery is not needed, but those that did what is in the photos, and those that made it possible should be held to account.

They should be available for prosecutions. If the law limits that use, then I have a problem with it.

And to see the startling differences in government policy!

Who do they think is going to be all fired up to campaign for them? People and groups who, on one issue after another have been stabbed in the back?

LOL.

Nope- my bet is that there will be a lot of boots in the closet and a lot of GOTV staying home.

Any hope that this is some sort of extremely astute political maneuvering by the Democrats seems laughably naive.

The good Germans in Congress.....

These two were the most pro Bush war guys in the Senate. And now they want to hide their crimes.

We need to get rid of these Senators that are screwing up the nation.

sponsored the damage -- both stripping funding to close guantanamo and blocking release of photos

pfft. same old shit.

Why should we have to stand helplessly by while the party does a hard right turn? This doesn't represent Democrats.

Can't afford to still be asking 4 years from now, "What the hell happened?"

when does the Senate have the power to classify? Since when is the POTUS powerless to de-classify.

This is insanity. Not to mention unconstitutional