Pentagon Pictures

Today in class, we discussed Daniel Ellsberg's decision to turn over 4,000 pages of the Pentagon Papers, the document that recorded the U.S.'s actions in Vietnam throughout the war. Ellsberg was asked if he would ever do it again, and he said absolutely. He also very strongly urged those who knew anything about the Wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to let it be known.

There is a large debate over whether or not pictures displaying the torture of suspected terrorists and foreign soldiers in U.S. custody should be released to the public. Many reasons as to why they shouldn't be released are stated in the article: Obama was all for the release at first, but was urged not to approve by military leaders; it would not be good for Pakistan and other U.S. partners; it would weaken our reputation and strengthen the enemy's.

What kind of Espionage Act are we under? What civil liberties are being limited, or are they?

Criminal charges have already been placed on some of the soldiers. Laws and bills have been signed in response to this incident preventing the release of such photos.

It makes me wonder, why do we need photos when we know the reality of the situation? Should there the next step be something more than "show us the pictures"?