Abu Ghraib photos need to be released

President Barack Obama’s administration is trying to improve the image of the United States on the international stage, but are still paying for the mistakes of the previous president.

Details have surfaced about a group of photos taken at Abu Ghraib prison, which depict even more grisly torture by American soldiers to detainees than seen earlier in 2004. The photos, which are part of 400 alleged abuse cases at Abu Ghraib and other prisons in the area between 2001 and 2005, reportedly show American soldiers torturing and raping prisoners at the Iraqi prison. Obama originally wanted the photos released, but has since reversed his position and is trying to make sure the pictures never see the light of day.

Releasing these photos is a difficult proposition for the president. If made public, the U.S.’s reputation in the Middle East will diminish even further. Americans seem to have come to terms with the earlier abuse scandal, but these new, more graphic photos will put the controversy back into people’s minds. The previous administration deflected some public outcry by creating a debate around the idea that torturing for information is necessary for a military. But there’s no way the government could claim these photos were taken to gain information.

The photos could likely bring a new level of disapproval toward the military, which Obama is trying to avoid. But maybe outrage is exactly what the military needs.

Obama should release these photos. News reports have made it very clear what occurs in these pictures and one could argue that the impact has already been done. The U.S.’s treatment of detainees is not a new subject; releasing these photos would just further damage the country’s already poor reputation. However, by preventing their release, it makes Obama appear like he’s just covering up for the military’s mistakes. No penalties towards the soldiers involved have been made public, which means it’s uncertain if they were punished at all.

With such little information, it seems like Obama is letting the government avoid responsibility.

People can’t be satisfied this. The real, physical evidence of these atrocities needs to be seen. News vendors won’t run photos that are too graphic, so it’s likely anyone who doesn’t want to see the pictures won’t have to. Damage will be done to our country’s image, but there’s a more important message Obama could send.

He could release the photos and pair with them a full explanation of what happened, and why it can’t happen again. Use these incidents as a way to condemn the policies of the George Bush Administration and say this kind of behavior will not be tolerated under this new regime. Prisoner abuse is one of the many failures in the war on terror and Obama would be better served to treat it like one.

Unfortunately, these kinds of things happen when the military goes unchecked. The public needs to be able to show their resentment toward the military and voice what they believe it should be doing. Abuse scandals are just evidence the military needs to be held more responsible for its actions. The biggest problem many countries have with the U.S. is our out-of-control military spending. The U.S. puts far too much value into its military, both in terms of money and in terms of importance.

If Obama is going to block these pictures, it just looks like he’s protecting that flawed judgment.