Transparency

So, I was thinking a bit about these torture photos and whether or not I think they should be released.

At first I wasn't sure what to think, because I do believe that the Abu Ghraib photos (rightly) angered many Muslims, and could have quite likely contributed to more of them resorting to violence as a way of expressing that anger.

I do believe that the release of the photos will increase bad feelings towards the US (if that's even possible!), and at first I could understand the concern that this would endanger soldiers' lives.

But then I read something on Think Progress that really hit home:

It’s not the pictures that recruits suicide bombers; it’s what the pictures depict.

The people responsible for authorizing and carrying out these despicable acts are the ones who should have considered the violent reaction if discovered. They are the ones responsible for endangering soldiers' lives, and revealing the truth about it will not change that fact.

If the US is responsible for these actions, then we deserve the bad opinion of the world for them.