US Military Fears New Abu Ghraib Pics Will Ignite More Violence
Jim Kouri, CPP
February 16, 2006
A new batch of Abu Ghraib prison photographs -- depicting mistreatment and abuse of prisoners by US soldiers -- are making the rounds of the international news media, but they offer nothing new in a case that, for all intents and purposes, is closed.
Examination of the photos by The Conservative Voice reveals them to be quite similar to the pictures published in January 2004. The pictures themselves were taken at the military prison in 2003.
The US military has authenticated photos made public Wednesday showing prisoner abuses at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.
The photographs matched those gathered by the US military two years ago in its investigation into the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, a defense official said. The soldiers depicted are the same in this latest batch as in the first photos released that appeared in newspapers and TV throughout the US.
Of the 15 pictures, 14 were authentic and only one could not be authenticated because there were no people in it, according to the DOJ.
Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said on Wednesday that the release of additional photos of prisoner abuse was harmful.
The Pentagon "believes that the further release of images could only further inflame and possibly incite unnecessary violence in the world and would endanger our military men and women that are serving in places around the world."
The US military has conducted a number of investigations since prisoner mistreatment was uncovered in January 2004. The abuse scandal, revealed to the public in April that year, sparked widespread protest and worldwide condemnation, in spite of the fact that the US military took the initiative in conducting an investigation.
Military personnel are fearful that these new photos will help terrorists to inflame more outrage in the Arab street. Coupled with the Muhammad cartoons and former Vice President Al Gore's inflammatory speech in which he accused the United States of mistreating Arabs right after 9-11, the photos are expected to aid insurgents and terrorists stir up additional violence.
Examination of the photos by The Conservative Voice reveals them to be quite similar to the pictures published in January 2004. The pictures themselves were taken at the military prison in 2003.
The US military has authenticated photos made public Wednesday showing prisoner abuses at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.
The photographs matched those gathered by the US military two years ago in its investigation into the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, a defense official said. The soldiers depicted are the same in this latest batch as in the first photos released that appeared in newspapers and TV throughout the US.
Of the 15 pictures, 14 were authentic and only one could not be authenticated because there were no people in it, according to the DOJ.
Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said on Wednesday that the release of additional photos of prisoner abuse was harmful.
The Pentagon "believes that the further release of images could only further inflame and possibly incite unnecessary violence in the world and would endanger our military men and women that are serving in places around the world."
The US military has conducted a number of investigations since prisoner mistreatment was uncovered in January 2004. The abuse scandal, revealed to the public in April that year, sparked widespread protest and worldwide condemnation, in spite of the fact that the US military took the initiative in conducting an investigation.
Military personnel are fearful that these new photos will help terrorists to inflame more outrage in the Arab street. Coupled with the Muhammad cartoons and former Vice President Al Gore's inflammatory speech in which he accused the United States of mistreating Arabs right after 9-11, the photos are expected to aid insurgents and terrorists stir up additional violence.
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