Why No Investigation?

Last week, I blogged here on The Huffington Post with evidence rebutting the Pentagon's denials of Taguba's confirmation to the British newspaper the Telegraph that male-on-male rape and male-on-female rape are pictured in the detainee abuse photos that Obama has suddenly decided to suppress. All weekend, though, I had an uneasy feeling -- that feeling you have when you've had a nightmare while you were sleeping that you can't quite recall.

As I was researching this story today, I remembered what it was: think back to 2005. We were still in shock after the Abu Ghraib photos came out. The Bush White House -- oddly, it seemed to me at the time -- invited scores of lawmakers from both parties to a private screening of the abuse photos and even four videos that did not get released at that time. They emerged, to a man and a woman, shocked. They spoke in public, on the record, by name, of having witnessed scenes of rape, sodomy, and violent sexual assault against children.

I even wrote about this screening in The End of America; I had interpreted the motivation for showing these scenes as being one of intimidation.

Now I am not so sure -- now I think the motive was to implicate any potential opposition. If Bush et al showed these images, and the Congresspeople did nothing -- a damn good bet -- well, the Bush team would have taken the wind out of any prosecutorial impulses.

Why are the Congressional leadership of both parties bizarrely silent now, when the American people are demanding an investigation and prosecution of the crimes represented in just two of 87 of those scenes?

Because they were there then -- saw it -- all of it -- at a weirdly perverse, practically red-carpet, private snuff-film screening -- and they evidently went along with it. Read this quote, which appears again below, carefully:

The military later screened some of the images for lawmakers, who said they showed, among other things, attack dogs snarling at cowed prisoners, Iraqi women forced to expose their breasts, and naked prisoners forced to have sex with each other.

It would seem that the lawmakers, having personally witnessed these same images, did nothing. Pursued nothing. Investigated nothing. Accepted a whitewash. Called to prosecute nothing.

This is a news report from Editor and Publisher, July 23, 2005 called "Why the Pentagon Is Blocking Release of Remaining 87 Abu Ghraib Images":

"So what is shown on the 87 photographs and four videos from Abu Ghraib prison that the Pentagon, in an eleventh hour move, blocked from release this weekend? One clue: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told Congress last year, after viewing a large cache of unreleased images: "I mean, I looked at them last night, and they're hard to believe." They show acts "that can only be described as blatantly sadistic, cruel and inhumane," he added. A Republican Senator suggested the same day they contained scenes of "rape and murder." No wonder Rumsfeld commented then, "If these are released to the public, obviously it's going to make matters worse."

Yesterday, news emerged that lawyers for the Pentagon had refused to cooperate with a federal judge's order to release dozens of unseen photographs and videos from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq by Saturday. The photos were among thousands turned over by the key "whistleblower" in the scandal, Specialist Joseph M. Darby. Just a few that were released to the press sparked the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal last year, and the video images are said to be even more shocking. [...] One Pentagon lawyer has argued that they should not be released because they would only add to the humiliation of the prisoners. But the ACLU has said the faces of the victims can easily be "redacted." To get a sense of what may be shown in these images, one has to go back to press reports from when the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal was still front page news.

This is how CNN reported it on May 8, 2004, in a typical account that day:

"U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld revealed Friday that videos and 'a lot more pictures' exist of the abuse of Iraqis held at Abu Ghraib prison. [...] "The embattled defense secretary fielded sharp and skeptical questions from lawmakers as he testified about the growing prisoner abuse scandal. A military report about that abuse describes detainees being threatened, sodomized with a chemical light and forced into sexually humiliating poses. [...] "'The American public needs to understand we're talking about rape and murder here. We're not just talking about giving people a humiliating experience,' Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told reporters after Rumsfeld testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee. 'We're talking about rape and murder -- and some very serious charges.' "A report by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba on the abuse at the prison outside Baghdad says videotapes and photographs show naked detainees, and that groups of men were forced to masturbate while being photographed and videotaped. Taguba also found evidence of a 'male MP guard having sex with a female detainee.' "Rumsfeld told Congress the unrevealed photos and videos contain acts 'that can only be described as blatantly sadistic, cruel and inhuman.'" [...] The military later screened some of the images for lawmakers, who said they showed, among other things, attack dogs snarling at cowed prisoners, Iraqi women forced to expose their breasts, and naked prisoners forced to have sex with each other. [...] "Basically what happened is that those women who were arrested with young boys/children in cases that have been recorded. The boys were sodomized with the cameras rolling. The worst about all of them is the soundtrack of the boys shrieking that your government has. They are in total terror it's going to come out."

Comments

[LadyLiberty1789]

Naomi,

Is President Obama preventing or hastening the end of America?

We need you to continue to speak out to the liberal community, not only about torture, but about FISA, habeus corpus, the no-fly list, renditions, posse comitatus, paramilitary corporations, and all the other Bush-era issues that are still unresolved and put our democracy in peril.

By the way, I believe there is a central aspect of fascism that you forgot to mention in your lecture and documentary, which is the economic one. To quoate Wikipedia: Mussolini claimed that Italian Fascism's economic system of corporatism could be identified as either state capitalism or state socialism, which in either case involved "the bureaucratisation of the economic activities of the nation."

This economic aspect has come true like never before under the Bush and Obama administrations.

Don't stay quiet Naomi, we need you!

[XGEN33]

Naomi Wolf, I apologize. Today On that radio I claimed you deserved rotten tomatoes for a segment on your newest DVD. I Misspoke and I want to apologize; i respect your work and the DVD had been awesome!. I had been referring to growing my own work in response to certain aspects and portions of that DVD that came off as very elitist in my view. Either way I had been petty, foolish, and silly; you are doing great service to your fellow people. Again, I apologize. Everyone who hasn't seen "End Of America" Please go and see!The funny part is I started out plugging your DVD and put my foot in my mouth!!

[wtfk]

In the words of Pete Townsend: "I'll smile and grin at the 'change' all around me, then I'll pick up my guitar and pray, we don't get fooled again."

MEET THE NEW BOSS.

SAME AS THE OLD BOSS.

It's time to wake up and smell the "bipartisan" coffee, Naomi.

[valhalladad]

The phrase from Obama's friend Reverend Wright immediately jumps to mind, "God **** America!" I love this country as much as anyone but to allow the criminals who approved and those that did nothing when they could have are not any Americans I want representing me. Say it again Reverend. And again, until justice is prevails.

[mightyhead]

I don't hold out much hope for anyone being held accountable. Recent polls show half of Americans are okay with torture. I seem to be the only person in my real world circle that is even concerned about it. I'd say half are okay with it in America, and the other half are denying it even happened. And this will be to the American Empire what lead pipes were to the Roman Empire: we're all dying, and no one knows why.

[Fusero]

... very prescient comparison to the Roman Empire, mightyhead: "we're all dying, and no one knows why." Obviously, some of us do, but the beating of our heads against the brick wall of American militarism and its horrors that we would all have to admit to is too much for the general American psyche, and too much of a threat to most-- but not all-- of the people in power.

[listen2elvis]

Keep up the good work, Naomi!

[spicegal]

I don't care whether I personally see the photos so long as something is done about this travesty against justice and humanity. Not showing the photos kind of says it all in terms of the content. And the more we try to hide this the worse it looks. If that's even possible. The U.S has got to come clean on this, and it doesn't matter to me whether Democrats are implicated in the process. I certainly understand Obama's reluctance to open this horrible can of worms, but it's not his decision. It's a legal issue. He just needs to get out of the way.

[Hedgehogging]

Dear Naomi,

Please don't paint images that reflect badly on President Obama. Where is your blind loyalty? Just be content that it's a Democrat covering up these abuses and not a Republican.

Please change the subject. Have you seen the First Lady's garden or her new outfits? They're lovely.

Everything is OK now. Relax. Think positive thoughts. It's not the abuse or the torture that's bad... it's the Republicans! Torture and abuse OK... Republicans bad!

[Fusero]

You're absolutely right:

"... there's nothing to see here, folks. Move along, please... nothing to see here..."

[Emerald1943]

Where is the mainstream press? Too busy reporting the GOP outrage at the President's "date night" or some ridiculous stunt by some lame comedian!

When is the MSM going to report, on the front page in large type, the torture and abuse done in our names? While the news channels focused almost exclusively on "waterboarding", we find that horrendous and much more brutal acts were taking place in our military prisons! And it seems that it is NOT common knowledge among the American people....­only known to bloggers and those who are willing to do the research. Where is our "free press"? What do we have to do to get the word out?

It appears that only the outrage of the American populace will force Washington to prosecute these criminals! Write letters, email, call your representatives, sign petitions! We cannot let up on the pressure or none of these thugs will ever face a jury!

[HyperInfluential]

And why did THIS post drop off the main page so quickly? I had to really search to find it again! Come on, HuffPo, don't be scared of torture stories! You'll go down in history as the honorable press institution that stood up for freedom and the Constitution if you promote the cause of Justice.

[Emerald1943]

Thank you, Naomi! The American people have been lulled into a false sense that the government can do no wrong. The cracks are now showing badly!

The criminals of the Bush/Cheney administration should be tried for war crimes and war profiteering!

We need voices like yours to continue to pressure the government to do the right thing! Keep up the good work!

[olmossy]

I don't really want to look at the pictures. I want them in a Criminal proceeding against All those involved, from the ground UP.

BUT if a Court has ruled these photos are public domain then I will make the decision to look at them or not. It's not up to the Executive Branch to tell me what I can see.

I suspect the Government rightly fears that if the photos are released, they will spark Public OUTRAGE. Then they will be Forced to investigate these crimes. Then PUBLIC trials. Then all the dirty details that have been hidden from the American People will come out.
We will find out that the President and the Military gave immunity to Mercenaries who killed and tortured in our name. We will find out that the US Congress knew what was happening and did NOTHING! to stop it.

More frightening WE may find out that through a seris of closed sessions and deals the Executive has taken control of the USA, and is not under control of the Legislature and Judicial.
That Dick Cheny was right.....­The President of the USA can do anything he wants , no one has power over him... At least on paper.

If anything I've said is true then , we need to get it started AS SOON AS POSIBLE.

Truth and Transparancy should allways be the Policy of the USA. When WE become known as a lie, then we can ALL go stand beside Hitler, and Stalin.

[texanna]

The only people that are being "protected" here are We the People. Pres Obama knows that if We saw these photos and videotapes there would be no way that he would be able to keep US in Afghanistan or Iraq or keep from investigating and prosecuting the bushies.

[Emerald1943]

We must keep the pressure on Washington! Otherwise, these criminals will walk away and live out their lives in the lap of luxury instead of in a p rison cell where they belong!

Please, please...w­rite, email, call your representatives and the Department of Justice as well as the White House! Let your feelings be known!

[gorgonopsid]

Pain. Embarrassment . Humiliation. The lawmakers don't have the courage to take responsibility for the actions of our country's employees. It is, ultimately, the fault of everyone who remained silent or, worse, voiced support when the United States declared war on Iraq. Had these so-called representatives of the people any honor, they would all tender their resignations for misconduct and incompetence. The entire power structure of this nation, both in commerce and in government, is almost irrevocably corrupt. The deification of profit and power have completely deranged the spirit and intellect of this nation. All those years of pledging allegiance to the flag when I was a kid, and what do I get? Pain. Embarrassment . Humiliation. SHAME!!!

[bobwalters]

Well said!

[Bastet]

Thank you Naomi for being a passionate voice for change, despite the odds!

"You do things again and again, and nothing happens. You have to do things, do things, do things,. You have to light that match, light that match, light that match, not knowing how often it's going to sputter and go out and at what point it's going to take hold. Things take a long time. It requires patience, but not a passive patience -- the patience of activism." HOWARD ZINN

[Bastet]

Would public release of these photos move those in power to prosecute? High level people are already privy to the true horrors and yet have done nothing. Would the American people demand that the guilty be held accountable? Doubt it.

Americans have become domesticated, passive, and acquiescent. Look at our health care system - look at the broad abuses that cause untold misery and ruin to families caught up in illness - do we march on the insurance companies as our forefathers would have: our forefathers tarred and feathered and worse those that harmed the people. No - Americans have a "bake sale" or a "car wash" to help "pay the bills". This passive acceptance of injustice is done when we watch our own neighbors and loved ones lives being shattered - why would Americans stand up for the rights of the much maligned "enemy" over "there". Sadly, Americans, in broad enough numbers to effect action, will once again do NOTHING that inconveniences them or has no direct benefit to them personally. In fact a good portion of our fellow Americans think that torture is just fine.

I hope that the World will demand justice for the war crimes our country has committed because god knows the majority of the American people won't. The passion of many who work for change is not enough to change the tide of apathy and self gratification that most Americans are engrossed in, but work for change we must.

[citizensrus]

It would be much harder for those in power to wash this all away. The PR blitz would be in confilict with the actual evidence.

[HyperInfluential]

There's a reason the Disney Corporation is one of the most powerful in the world. Americans can't stand to see children harmed. They'll execute a mentally disabled person, as long as he's over 21. They'll see electrodes clipped to a tanned, hairy grown man's tenderest parts, and not really react. But children, no way. No freakin' way. Hell no.

I suppose lawmakers must be under the mistaken impression everyone already knows children were tortured under Bush and is cool with that, but trust me, most people have no idea that happened, even though it was indeed reported in 2004. For some reason, it didn't sink in at the time with the American people. When they find out, they'll be giving away free pitchforks and torches down at the Wal-Mart and we will march these criminals to prison where they belong.

Steal an election, illegally invade another country, torture adults, no reaction. But KIDS, holy crap. Americans worship children, thank God. We may finally get justice after all.