Obama Says "No" to Photo Release

"After agreeing to release 44 photos of prisoner abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan, Presidnet Obama reversed himself today." (CBS)

"He flip flops, he now says he's not going to release those photos of alleged prisoner abuse." (FOX News)

"But today after strong lobbying from his top military commanders, he did an about face, planning to try and block the photos from getting made public." (CNN)

We’re following a variety of perspectives… and we start with France 24 and ABC Australia…

“It could be the first broken promise of President Obama’s administration. He had said that he would publish new photos taken in U.S.-run prisons in Iraq, but now in what distinctly resembles a u-turn, they’ll remain under Federal lock and key.” (France 24)

“It’s a dramatic turn around for a president that promised a more transparent administration. Barack Obama is now in a probably uncomfortable position. He’s being praised by republicans but being condemned by civil liberties groups.” (ABC News Australia)

And ABC News brings us the perspective of the American Civil Liberties Union, who is calling for the release of the photos.

“The ACLU is downright angry that President Obama did a 180 and decided to fight the release of photographs depicting alleged detainee abuse abroad. ‘It only confirms that the Obama administration’s promise of transparency and accountability is essentially meaningless.’” (ABC News)

Many are questioning what happened? Why this so called “turn-around”

Well on a recent media tour, former vice president Dick Cheney called for the photos to be kept classified as a matter of national security.

And The Huffington Post brings us the perspective on one writer who criticizes Obama. He says Cheney influenced the decision…

“And to add insult to injury, we have to reconcile ourselves to the fact that Dick Cheney still runs DC no matter how unpopular and despicable he is. He still has the Democrats eating out of his hand. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.” (Huffington Post)

Politics Daily takes a completely different approach…

“So, the President hadn't seen the photos in April, but sometime after seeing them, he announces his opposition to their release. That makes sense, and there's nothing wrong with that. Except, doesn't this add to the propaganda value of not releasing the photographs? If the impression is created that these pictures are so heinous that they made the President do a 180, couldn't the images conjured in the imagination do more harm than the actual photos?” (Politics Daily)