President Obama defended his decision to fight the release of photos showing detainee abuse Wednesday afternoon, saying it would only put American troops in harms way and create a backlash against Americans.
"The most direct consequence of releasing them, I believe, would be to further inflame anti-American opinion and to put our troops in greater danger," the president said before departing on his trip to Arizona. "Moreover, I fear the publication of these photos may only have a chilling effect on future investigations of detainee abuse."
The move is a complete 180. In a letter from the Justice Department to a federal judge on April 23, the Obama administration announced that the Pentagon would turn over 44 photographs showing detainee abuse of prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq during the Bush administration.
It's nice to see Obama coming to the same conclusion that everyone else other than the hard left came to months ago. If the photos are released, they will become "locker room fodder" and recruiting tools for Al-Qaeda.
The courts could end up releasing the photos anyway, but he should fight them tooth and nail to stop it.
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