CNN.com – Judge orders release of Abu Ghraib photos – Sep 29, 2005

Despite opposition from the White House, photos of detainee abuse must be released. Our “image” is past the tarnish point. Likely content will include the sodomizing of young boys, possibly in front of their mothers.

The American Civil Liberties Union sought the release of 87 photographs and four videotapes as part of an October 2003 lawsuit demanding information on the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody and the transfer of prisoners to countries known to use torture. The ACLU contends that prisoner abuse is systemic.

Meanwhile, as privates and sergeants get prison time, one of the top architects of our current torture policies is actually up for promotion.

Former White House lawyer (current senior Tyco attorney) Timothy Flanigan has been nominated by the president to be Deputy Attorney General. His nomination is up before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a vote right now.

Timothy Flanigan helped develop policies that removed protections for torture and abuse of foreign detainees in U.S. custody, giving policy sanction for the abuses at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, and elsewhere. He was deputy to then-White House counsel Alberto Gonzales.

If the Senate confirms Flanigan, he will be the direct supervisor of ALL federal U.S. Attorneys. With his former boss Alberto Gonzales in the number one spot, the nation’s top two law enforcement officials will have both played important roles in the torture and abuse scandal.

To guarantee a fair and comprehensive review of the full extent of the government’s violation of the rule of law, Congress must demand an independent investigation of those decisions and the officials involved before elevating another top torture official to the second highest law enforcement job in the nation.

Take Action! Urge your Senators to oppose moving forward on the Flanigan nomination unless Attorney General Gonzalez first appoints an outside special counsel for torture prosecutions.