Obama: Releasing detainee photos would “inflame anti-American opinion”
posted at 6:26 pm on May 13, 2009 by Allahpundit
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He’s not saying that’s the only consideration; how could he, knowing it would set a precedent for concealing any evidence of malfeasance in the name of national security? Rather, he emphasizes that the investigations are closed and that the Pentagon’s not trying to justify or otherwise hide what happened — which seems to me an obvious attempt to distinguish this case from the release of the torture memos, where some are trying to justify the tactics involved. Note, incidentally, his insistence that the photos are “not sensational,” which seems a curious counterpoint to his worry that they’ll rile up jihadists. If he loses the court battle and the photos come out and they’re really bad, he’ll have a lot of explaining to do about his characterization of them here.
The meme of the hour, per Republican strategists and Bill Clinton, is that Dick Cheney needs to quiet down about torture and go away now. Really? I find it hard to believe The One would have backed off on the photos if not for Cheney’s media campaign to convince people that torture works and that Obama’s being cavalier about counterterrorism. Granted, he’s personally unpopular with most of the public, but the fact remains that he’s almost uniquely well informed to comment on this subject, which can’t help but be persuasive. If he’s got a liberal as staunch as Richard Cohen questioning himself, what’s he doing to the rest of the country?
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A short history lesson: How many friends/associates/buddies/links etc.. does Obama have in the CIA? One. Panetta.
How many of same does Rove have? Well, he used to work for the son of a guy that ran the place. My guess is Rove can walk the halls at Langley and say hello on a first name basis to a large number of folks.
Obama? In Svens’ words: “not so much”
Why did Pelosi start singing the same tune off-key? Cause somebody at the company leaked “the rest of the story”, as Paul Harvey would say.
Why did Obama change his tune completely? Because Panetta most likely told him what the CIAs function is…something akin to the Praetorian Guard, and they ain’t happy…
BobMbx on May 13, 2009 at 8:04 PM
Second look at Obama!
O.K. I’m done.
Not buying it.
He doesn’t have enough spine to stand up to the leftists that own it.
What’s this diversion from?
cntrlfrk on May 13, 2009 at 8:04 PM
Hello, Mr. Genius President?
The name of the Chairman of your Joint Chiefs of Staff is Admiral Michael Mullen, not Mullens.
Good thing a Republican president didn’t say something so stupid. The shrieking of the media would be setting my teeth on edge by now.
ILB on May 13, 2009 at 8:04 PM
Except Obama
Mormon Doc on May 13, 2009 at 8:05 PM
Except Obama
Mormon Doc on May 13, 2009 at 8:05 PM
touché
txag92 on May 13, 2009 at 8:10 PM
it speaks for itself.
sesquipedalian on May 13, 2009 at 8:13 PM
sesquipedalian on May 13, 2009 at 8:13 PM
Actually it doesn’t. There are different ways to interpret it but if you are uncomfortable sharing your thoughts on a political blog where people share their thoughts I can understand. Facts are stubborn things.
Mormon Doc on May 13, 2009 at 8:17 PM
Bambi reversed course because of his upcoming speech in Egypt or wherever he is going to make his next groveling, appeasing apology. He doesn’t want these old pictures out there for protesters to fill the streets, burning our flag, screaming Allah is great. It will disrupt his groveling and take the spotlight off HIM.
karenhasfreedom on May 13, 2009 at 8:34 PM
The dorks at Daily Kos are outraged by this. Wheres their Obamessiah now?
Speedwagon82 on May 13, 2009 at 8:35 PM
Going east to talk to his real masters….
Koose got played…
indeed….the prodigal son returns….
sven10077 on May 13, 2009 at 8:36 PM
If the White House reverses course again within weeks of Obama returning from his Middle East trip and Obama goes back to saying there’s nothing they can do in court to stop the release, then you’ll know this was just a cynical ploy to keep the Muslim reaction to the photos and/or any possible terrorist reaction around his visit to Egypt from dominating the agenda and overshadowing The Speech.
jon1979 on May 13, 2009 at 8:37 PM
perhaps at this very highbrow political blog it does not call for an explanation that wanting to torture someone to cover your ass is wrong. indeed, it’s reprehensible if you don’t mind me seconding the head of the iraq survey group.
sesquipedalian on May 13, 2009 at 8:40 PM
You are mindless
Jamson64 on May 13, 2009 at 8:49 PM
In the future many more of these combatants will be killed on the battlefield… no way will they chance the bullshit of what is going on now. Fcuk u liberals so fcuking insaen.
Jamson64 on May 13, 2009 at 8:52 PM
How dare anyone hurt a terrorist maniac who is trying to kill thousands -or hundreds of thousands -or millions of Americans!
Pouring water up their noses makes us no better than jihadis who slice peoples’ heads off with butcher knives!
We are Hitler!
(Leftoid idiot helmet off.)
profitsbeard on May 13, 2009 at 9:00 PM
I still think Obambi wants these photos to be a non-issue during his big speech and I frankly don’t think he gives a rip about them after he gets back. Watch them get released. I think this guy is as evil and narcisstic as they come.
karenhasfreedom on May 13, 2009 at 9:00 PM
I just caught the last little bit of O’Reilly…he had Alan Colmes and Colmes’ wife, Monica Crowley (how in the world did the laughing skull hook up with a cutie like her?) discussing the best and worst of Obama this week. Crowley said that the worst thing Chicago Jesus did this week was to decide not to release these photos – but not because they should be released. She said that he should have figured out that they would be inflammatory ‘way back when the courts said they had to be released.
uncivilized on May 13, 2009 at 9:06 PM
The libtards only wanted tapes and pics so they could watch them — over and over.
Feedie on May 13, 2009 at 9:22 PM
Islamosymp S&M is their version of Aurora Snow….
sven10077 on May 13, 2009 at 9:38 PM
Yeah, releasing these pics might make people go crazy and do stuff like, oh I dunno, hijacking airliners and flying them into skyscrapers, planting bombs, blowing themselves up with bombs, executing prisoners by beheading with a knife…wouldn’t want to be responsible for that now would we?
Dr. ZhivBlago on May 13, 2009 at 10:53 PM
You mean anti-Democrat opinion and that’s all that counts.
RobCon on May 13, 2009 at 11:32 PM
Is Barack Obama such an asshat that he could not figure this out already?
drjohn on May 13, 2009 at 11:32 PM
This, by the way, is the cover for not releasing what Cheney wanted released.
drjohn on May 13, 2009 at 11:33 PM
You mean the same Iraq survey group that would have lost us the war if we had followed what they and the democrats wanted to do.
Real credible source there genius.
Baxter Greene on May 14, 2009 at 7:52 AM
that war was already lost before it began.
sesquipedalian on May 14, 2009 at 10:13 AM
You think we lost the Iraq war?
hawkdriver on May 14, 2009 at 1:01 PM
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