Should the new abuse pics be released?

I'm all for disclosure, but when I sat back and really thought about how unbelievably horrible these pictures are going to be, and how PISSED the Iraqis will be in response, it made me hesistant.

If those pics are released, Iraqis are going to take it out on our soldiers big time. That's not to say that I don't think that they should be released- I'm just saying that this could much, much uglier than it already is. They are going to be seriously angry. Think about it- pictures of our soldiers raping an Iraqi woman. How would you react if you were an Iraqi? It would be totally intolerable.

What do you think we should do? Should we go ahead and release the pictures?

i don't want to see them, didn't want to see the first round. but it will come out anyway, pentagon or not. i believe we have to face the ugly truth, photographic or otherwise

but what road are we heading down with all of this? First the prisoner abuse, then Nick Berg, now our soldiers raping an Iraqi woman on film. What the HELL is going on here? People are going to get so riled up it's just going to turn into a killing frenzy. It's like some kind of a "who can piss the other guy off more" contest.

We're nowhere near having seen the worst of this conflict. We're still accelerating into disaster.

This is just too much.

I HATE Bush SO FUCKING MUCH.

the muslim world already hates us. releasing more pics may add to muslim anger towards the US, but honestly how much worse can it get. these pictures need to be released so americans know why the muslim wordl hates us so much.

or else how do you deal with it? you're trying to deal with smoke otherwise.

I voted "something else". I think they should be released, but after we get out of there. I can't bear the thought of any more beheading videos. I'm a coward, I admit it.

for them keeping the pictures..idon't need to see the pictures to know what they did...the court needed to see the evidence of the Manson murders in order to convict...not everyone..even after WWII the pics of the concentration camps were not immediately released. Sometimes the peace is worth the wait..but only if justice is accomplished in the interim.

Let's have some higher level heads roll, for once, and save our soldiers some of the punishment. Everything always gets put on their shoulders.

WITH NO FRIGGEN CONSEQUENCES??? Hello..taking responsibility MEANS accepting consequences..not saying words while covering your ass with both hands.

what if releasing the pictures is the only way high level resignations will occur?

including reading the Letterman thread about McCain's appearance...this is a guy that WAS a prisoner of war and stated even HE wasn't subjected to those things done in Iraq..that's pretty powerful...this isn't going to die easily and we KNOW the info of what those pics show...I'd mcuh rather preserve them as evidence for a war crimes trial...there's now plenty of testimony surfacing that torture and mistreatment of prisoners was encouraged by Rumsfeld.

but you have to remember what Bush responds to the most, public opinion. If public opinion is on his side, the Rummy isn't going anywhere.

him

And I am not saying that as though I hope they happen. I don't. They are a foregone conclusion that we will be dealing with for decades.

the pictures must be released because it is the right thing to do, regardless of the consquences. americans need to know the truth about whats going on in these prisons, and simply stating that these pictures are awful is not enough. we need to be able to see these pictures with our own eyes in order to fully comprehend the magnitude of these abuses. I firmly believe that the truth must always be told, no matter how painful it may be.

why I lean toward releasing them- always err on the side of the truth.

But I like NSMA's idea, too.

As tough as the decision may seem, the hard truth is that Iraqis knew this was going on LONG before 60 Minutes II and Hersh. Pictures or no, the damage has already been done.

Those pictures are going to ENRAGE them. Totally out of control.

They have already seen it, lived it, and heard of it first-hand from friends and neighbors. We've already lost their hearts and minds. If the system is going to be changed we need to know the facts.

Whether we release them in one fell swoop or they're slowly leaked by insiders, they'll come out. All at once will be less painful... like pulling off a band-aid. Get them all out, and we'll deal with it. Better than 5 pics this week, 5 next week, and so on which will be like opening up a new wound each time.

i think rummy and the rest of the bush cartel have learned about the dangers of "leaks", and it wouldn't surprise me if these pics were well protected.

I very much doubt we'd be seeing any of these pictures if they hadn't already been leaked. This is a shit-faced Rumsfeld confessing, "I'd better tell you this before you hear it on the street..."

Yes, because the photos already released aren't enough to inspire changes for more human rights.

Such changes could include a civilian agency to oversee all US prisons in the world, and specific prohibitions against stripping or blindfolding prisoners.

Maybe if more photos are released, there will be demand for change for human rights.

As disgusting as the pictures are, I would rather they are made available to those that wish to see them rather than hidden behind the red tape that is so often used in governmental cover ups.

Last night, I chose (not some Repuke politician) to watch the video of Nick Berg being decapitated....I was shaking and revolted and tears streamed down my face...but I came away from it realizing that even if the pictures of Prisoner abuse hadn't come out over the last week, that the anger and hatred and knowledge of these abuses was already out there, the only difference is that "WE" didn't get it or see it...Why did I choose to see it? Because I wanted to see what the world was seeing...because I want to see what we have created, and yes, we created this with our fear and anger and terror and hate...

I say get all the pictures and videos out there...no censorship, get the truth out no holding back...Let the world and every citizen and individual who chooses to see these pictures and videos to take a good hard look at the terror and hate that is breeding and is in a cycle that can't be stopped unless we all collectively stop the terror and hate. I cry equally for our soldiers and citizens as I do for theirs. Every life is equally valued to me and I think that I often feel that people are not looking at it that way. We are all members of the human family.

I hate to think of anything endangering our troops, but the reality is that these very same acts were committed by our military, even if it was a few "bad apples" as the Pentagon and Bush wants us to believe. War isn't pretty as we know and our soldiers are in danger at all times and have been all along. Also, if suddenly these pix aren't released, its not as if the Arab and Muslim world will just forget that they exist. We are all in danger and I believe the truth will set us all free....even if the truth is really ugly...Who knows, maybe these pictures will finally lead up to the end of all this craziness...then again, I think that there is no question that this war and any of the "War on Terrorism" is unwinnable with the way this administration has gone about it. Can you imagine if post 9/11 that instead of the constant Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt and more Fear that this administration spoon-fed to us and instead had taken the support and good will of this world and its nations (including Arab nations) and instead of the "War on Terror" had instead done the "War for Peace and Love" and had sent Hundreds of thousands of American Peace Corps and the Billions of dollars spent on bombs instead on building homes,schools etc. and clean drinking water and food, that the effect it would have had in the eyes of small children around the world would have been of a growing love and admiration for the USA. Instead we have children around the world watching their families killed and tortured and the American flag has become the symbol for it...Instead, we have handed the "evil" in this world their perfect recruiting and PR tool and the cycle continues and grows...all those children are going to grow up hating us and joining the ranks in fighting us...

We invaded them unproved and illegally and now we are going to have to all pay the consequences of this decision by the Bush Administration. We need to get out of Iraq now and quick...if that country goes to hell, than atleast they "democratically" decided to take their own fate in their hands and our soldiers don't die and maybe we can start trying to mend our tarnished reputation for the next 30 years and hope we are forgiven by taking new actions in this world. All I know is that if I were a soldier there right now and I saw what had been done to prisoners (either in person or the pictures that have been revealed). I'd put my gun down and say - I'm outta here...This is BS...

Am I a Dove? You bet I am....The hate and terror in this world is destroying it...we all need to be countering it with the opposite - love and peace....