Obama, the detainee abuse photos, and the need to own up to the truth

By Michael J.W. Stickings

While I don't appreciate the reversal -- yes, they should be released, uh, no, they shouldn't -- I respect Obama's position on the as-yet-unreleased photos of detainee abuse/torture, and I understand that, if released, they could endanger U.S. troops overseas (and further destroy America's credibility in the Muslim world -- not that there's much left):

The publication of these photos would not add any additional benefit to our understanding of what was carried out in the past by a small number of individuals. In fact, the most direct consequence of releasing them, I believe, would be to further inflame anti-American opinion and to put our troops in danger.

Still, I think it's wrong not to release them. Americans deserve to know the truth about what happened, and, in this case, even a single photo is worth far more than a thousand words.

And I also think Andrew Sullivan's response to Obama's excuse -- which ought to be read in full -- is right on target:

It's understandable that releasing new evidence of the widespread torture and abuse policy of Bush and Cheney, including techniques that were tailored specifically against Muslims, could inflame the populations of Iraq and Afghanistan, the two newest military theaters for the US. On the brink of what may be a brutal summer in all theaters in a war whose purpose is now opaque, one can understand the caution, and there is no reason to doubt the genuine worries of commanders in the field. But it is important to remember that it is the abuse that inflames, not the accounting of the abuse. And for Obama to act as an extension of the Bush era of secrecy is potentially more damaging to the US and its interests and servicemembers. He risks looking like Bush's continuation, not a clear caesura. That does not help the war, although the loathing of America in Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan is so intense it is hard to see how anything could make it worse.

That's part of what's so bad about this: Obama looks a lot like Bush, hiding the truth from public view. What is needed is not just an extensive investigation of what happened on Bush's watch but a public airing of the results both of that investigation and of all the available evidence as well as a robust effort to raise public awareness of what happened. The photos are no doubt extremely disturbing -- and for that reason they ought to be released with as little sensationalism as possible, as an effort to inform and educate, not to titillate, and hence it should be incumbent upon Obama himself to explain their value and the need for them to be released -- but it seems to me that some disturbing is just what is needed in the wake of such appalling abuse. Aside from contributing to public awareness, releasing the photos would show the world, including the Muslim world, that the U.S. is now serious about confronting the ugliness of its recent past in a serious and meaningful way.

Obama has a point, yes, but it is overwhelmingly outweighed by the need to open up to -- and own up to -- the truth.

For more reaction to Obama's reversal, see Memeorandum.