Abu Ghraib pictures

As you may know the Bush administration has been suppressing the evidence from the Iraqi prison that we ran. It looks like they might finally have to give it up though, as a Fed judge has ruled that they can't hold out anymore. Now, I won't be surprised if they appeal, but I'm hopeful that we may yet get a full accounting (well, some small hope at least).

Here is the NYT story:

"There is another dimension to a picture that is of much greater moment and immediacy" than a document, Judge Hellerstein said in court. He rejected Mr. Lane's argument that releasing the pictures would violate the Geneva Conventions because some prisoners might be identified and "further humiliated."
----

But, in reading a comment thread on Reason's Hit and Run blog, I came across this description of the governments arguments both against and for the Geneva Convention, from one of my favorite commenters, thoreau:

"There is no torture going on.

The torture isn't a violation of the Geneva Conventions because the Geneva Conventions don't apply here. The enemy combatants are from Eurasia, and Eurasia has always been our ally. So they aren't prisoners of war because there is no war.

And because we are (and always have been) at war with Eurasia we must adhere to the Geneva Conventions and not show pictures of prisoners being tortured.

Four legs are good and two legs are better."

Bravo, thoreau, Perfeccione!!