By Dennis Loo .jpg)
By unanimous consent, the United States Senate on Wednesday agreed that the dirty deeds of our torture of detainees should be kept hidden.
Every single one of the Senators present to vote, the people who allegedly make the law for all of us, have said that what’s wrong with torture is not that it’s torture. What’s wrong with torture is when the evidence of it escapes from behind closed doors into the light of the day before the world and when the ugly, monstrous reality of the blood and death are revealed to be going on.
We don’t need to uncover the truth and punish those responsible because, according to the bill’s co-sponsor, Sen. Lindsay Graham (S. Carolina):
“The people involved in Abu Ghraib and other detainee abuse allegations have been dealt with,” Graham said, arguing against the release of the photographs. “Every photo would become a bullet or IED used by terrorists against our troops.”
According to Graham, our troops – and CIA officials and third-party, rendition inquisitors – who have been torturing people are not the terrorists. They’re not the terrorists, even though they have been actually torturing people which is what the photos reveal, which is why they want to block the photos from being released.
No, the terrorists are the ones who would be provoked into attacking our troops upon seeing the bloody evidence of that torture.
If these particular photos aren’t shown, then the IEDs and suicide bombings and other forms of resistance to our occupation of their countries and raining bombs upon their land and people will stop forthwith, because they won’t be upset anymore, right?
They’ll be so impressed that we are so transparent and forthright about undoing wrongs that they will believe, in the absence of these photos, that the guilty parties have all "been dealt with" and end their violent attacks on US targets, right?
The man that so many people believed would change this has also, thank god, promised to block release of the photos:
"Before the Senate vote, Graham told his colleagues from the Senate floor that President Obama ‘would sign … an executive order’ classifying the photographs unless Congress acted to prevent their release.
"Graham said at a Judiciary Committee hearing that he had received assurance from White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel ‘that the president will not let these photos see the light of day.’”
Speaking of seeing the light, I’ve seen it. How about you?
Praise Jesus we live in such a free country!
From the Senate law:
Sec. 1305. (a) Short Title- This section may be cited as the ‘Detainee Photographic Records Protection Act of 2009’.(b) Definitions- In this section:(c) Certification-
4(A) that is a photograph that was taken between September 11, 2001 and January 22, 2009 relating to the treatment of individuals engaged, captured, or detained after September 11, 2001, by the Armed Forces of the United States in operations outside of the United States; and
(B) for which a certification by the Secretary of Defense under subsection (c) is in effect.
(1) COVERED RECORD- The term ‘covered record’ means any record–2) PHOTOGRAPH- The term ‘photograph’ encompasses all photographic images, whether originals or copies, including still photographs, negatives, digital images, films, video tapes, and motion pictures.
(A) citizens of the United States; or(B) members of the Armed Forces or employees of the United States Government deployed outside the United States.
2(1) IN GENERAL- For any photograph described under subsection (b)(1)(A), the Secretary of Defense shall certify, if the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, determines that the disclosure of that photograph would endanger lives …