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A courtroom drawing shows Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (C) and co-defendant Walid bin Attash (L) attending a pre-trial session in Guantanamo Bay - Source: Reuters
In a reversal, President Barack Obama objected to the release of
dozens of photographs showing the abuse of terrorism suspects,
fearing the pictures could trigger a backlash against US
troops.
The Obama administration had said last month it would comply with a
court order to release the pictures by May 28, amid concerns that
they could fan the flames of a political firestorm over the
treatment of terrorism suspects and other detainees during George
Bush's presidency.
A US official said Obama told his legal team last week that he did
not feel comfortable with the release of the photos although in no
way did he excuse the behaviour of those responsible for tough
interrogation tactics.
He directed the lawyers to object to the immediate release of the
photos on grounds that "their release would endanger our troops,
and because he believes that the national security implications of
such a release have not been fully presented to the court."
"The president strongly believes that the release of these photos,
particularly at this time, would only serve the purpose of
inflaming the theatres of war, jeopardizing US forces, and making
our job more difficult in places like Iraq and Afghanistan," the
official, who declined to be identified, said.
Obama inflamed partisan tensions in Washington in April by
releasing memos written by Bush-era Justice Department lawyers that
provided the legal justification for interrogation tactics such as
waterboarding, which is simulated drowning.
Human rights advocates have called for prosecuting those Bush
officials.
Obama last month also opened the door to the prosecution of those
officials, and Attorney General Eric Holder last week vowed to move
cautiously and avoid partisan politics in deciding whether any
Bush-era officials should be prosecuted.
On Capitol Hill, some Democrats, such as House of Representatives
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have been calling for appointment of a truth
commission to conduct a highly public probe into Bush
administration interrogation tactics.
The Obama White House and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a
Nevada Democrat, have been wary of such a move, fearing it would
distract attention from Obama's agenda.
Republicans have insisted that the interrogation tactics
provided valuable information and have pointed fingers at Pelosi,
saying she was briefed on tactics such as waterboarding in 2002 and
did not complain about them at the time.
Pelosi has insisted that she was only told waterboarding was an
option, not that it was being used.
