Reply #7: It's not the abusers they're claiming to protect [View All]

[starroute]

Their argument has apparently been that the release of the photos would cause riots or other forms of violence in which some indeterminate person, somewhere might get hurt.

They've even brought in their chief expert on Arab culture to argue how volatile and easily inflamed the Iraqis are. (That's apparently what's in the redacted parts.)

Of course, on that basis, you could argue for covering up police brutality that might incite inner city riots. Or for blacking out all news about Jack Abramoff on the grounds that it might cause an anti-Semitic incident somewhere or other. Or . . . well, you get the idea.

The law was originally meant to protect people who testify against the mob and that sort of thing. Judges don't generally go for bending the law out of shape quite that severely. But they can probably keep appealing this one up to the Supreme Court -- which, as we all know, is quite prepared to make special exceptions where Bushes are concerned.

We shall see.