Federal Court Asked to Enforce Release of Abu Ghraib Photos
Fourteeen media organization and companies have asked a U.S. District Court in New York to enforce its order to the Defense Department to release Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse photos. The court had ordered the release in a suit filed by the ACLU, but the DOD failed to meet the release deadline and instead filed a partly sealed brief with the court claiming release of the photos could touch off violence against U.S. military personnel and civilians overseas. A brief written by The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press says FOIA exemptions should not be used “to hide incendiary evidence of government misconduct. Hiding the information would reward misconduct and “obscure government accountability at a time when it is most necessary for the public to have full access to the facts.” (8/4/05)