Yeah, that whole "threat to the troops" thing doesn't appear to be true, though.

Go ahead and give us the real actual statistics that support your assertion that releasing these photos would make things worse for our troops.

I checked the casualty counts for the prior publication of the Abu Graib pics. There's no change. It didn't happen. The pics came out in Feb '06, and the death counts were just as stable before as after.

Pretty sure this is a lie you're perpetuating. Hopefully it's 'cause you don't know any better.

How can people not understand that things that are seemingly innocuous to us can spark great violence in the middle east? And around the rest of the world? Danish Cartoons, hello?

These photos would absolutely spark riots, violence, and be used and justified in propaganda. I'm sure someone will say, yea, well, then maybe we shouldn't have done it. So more violence and chaos out of spite?

Nothing productive can come from the release of these photos, only further destruction. They're not denying the existence, covering them up, not prosecuting because of them. They're just declining to add more fuel to the fire.

I also would hold off on any judgement until the court decides.

Oh, and I forget who made the comment, but someone snarked about predator drones killing innocent people, etc. Why do people automatically defer to the judgement and validity of the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and the local and federal governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Really? Really? Those organizations have more validity to you than the U.S.? They don't have any agenda or vested interest in claiming it was an innocent family, right?

Obama is doing the bidding of the former White House on this one, is setting himself up not be trusted when it comes to violating these kinds of laws, and just keeps flipping on about everything the guy campaign about for over a year!

Actually, I don't think he's a Democrat and never was one. He was just looking for a place to land to feather his own nest, cut his deals, and move on up. Too bad everyone else fell for the teleprompter platitude crap.

"The real work will be getting together a legal framework that insures that this godawful chapter in America is closed and that there will be accountability."

The framework IS together. It is the role of the Executive Branch to enforce the laws of the land through the Justice Department.

The Attorney General can charge people with crimes. A grand jury can be convened and can determine whether there's sufficient reason to believe a crime occurred, and if so, they can indict.

Then a trial, and the guilty are convicted and the innocent go free and all that good stuff.

The problem isn't with the framework. It's with the fact that the people responsible for enforcing the laws refuse to do so.

The photos themselves aren't a big deal one way or the other--the big deal is whether the citizenry can compel the government to perform its function. It doesn't look to me like it can--we are apparently considered a nuisance by many of the people who purport to work for our interests.

We've become subjects.

There will never be a time when this is OK with the military. Release the pictures. Don't make the court make you ala Bush.

Thank you for your words and your passionate response to the usual cavalcade of pitchfork handwringers on this board. I am glad to read of your belief in this administration and of Obama's leadership. It is refreshing on a board where snarking and lunatic musing run rampart.

In time, those pictures will be released, probably through legal action. Will they tell us something we don't know about this pathetic previous administration - my guess is no. Sadly, the Bush administration appears to have authorized the use of torture. Period. No new pictures are going to change that.

The real work will be getting together a legal framework that insures that this godawful chapter in America is closed and that there will be accountability. The fact that Bush and company are not in front a firing squad today doesn't ruin my day. I believe that, in time, this previous administration's past deeds will be prosecuted. I am just glad not to see Bush on my T.V. embarassing this country.

Do I want the satisfaction of shoving these pictures in Cheney's face the next time he darkens the T.V. with his lies? Sure, Cheney is a gold plated liar fawned over by the empty headed folks within his party and in the media - I wouldn't shed a tear over his old man ass being sent to a prison at some point. But I doubt he would care about any of those pictures- he will never see anything other than his own reflection - that is all he cares about.

I respect Obama's decision regarding the interest of the military out there, as they are still fighting this war and are the front line of whatever fallout these photos could cause right now. Maybe the glenn greenwald's of the world can afford to be holier than thou about this matter, but for some of us with family and friends over there, there is no time for smug self righteousness - not while we pray for their safe return someday.

"President Obama wasn't originally supposed to speak out about his decision"

I'm sorry, but this is fast becoming a pet peeve. Are we getting rid of the verb "to speak" and replacing it entirely with "to speak out"?

Did President Obama speak truth to power? Was his statement unusually bold? Or did he just plain "speak"?

That is all.

I didn't want to vote for Obama but I did because I couldn't stand McCain. I was afraid I'd be sorry and I am. Obama wants to be too many things to too many people and his inexperience is starting to show. He doesn't want the torture criminals tried for their crimes,now he doesn't want to show pictures of said criminals in the process of torturing prisoners.These people need to be tried for their crimes to show the world that we are a law abideing country and we make no exceptions,if it's the president or his vice they get treated like everyone else.