ABU GHRAIB PHOTOS ARE COMING! BE PREPARED WITH THESE FLYERS!!!

[DistressedAmerican]

As many of you know, I have been hitting this topic hard all week. I am amazed at how many people (even here on DU) do not know that a Federal judge ruled about three weeks ago that the Pentagon had to release 144 photos and several videos of prisoner abuse, rape and murder at our most infamous gulag, Abu Ghraib (now under new management).

The photos are schedlued to bew handed over to the ACLU Thursday and will hit the press soon thereafter.

The republicans have already begun spinning. Senators on tours of Guantanamo was a start, the speech last night was more of it. We MUST beat them to the punch on this. The consequences of our not doing so are just too high!

It is going to be up to just as it was with the DSM story to make sure these photos get seen and to organize and exploite the anger they generate to the greatest benefit of the anti-war movement.

TO THAT END:

I have begun what I am calling the NO MORE EXCUSES! END THE ABUSES campaign.

I have designed several protest posters centered around that these and will produce several more when the new photos come out.

Here are the main designs:



There are linkd to PRNITABLE PDF versions on my website.

http://www.seedsofdoubt.com/distressedamerican/main.htm

I have done all the leg work. The posters are ready for use. Just click the link and hit print. The rest is up to you.

Distribute and post the flyers and print them at the full 11X17 size and take them as posters to rallies.

Here are a couple of other related graphics that I produced. Feel free to use them any way you can!!!

-- --

If you want them preprinted, posters, shirts, bumperstickers and other things can be found at my webstore:
www.cafepress.com/distressedgear

I will post the new designs with links to the printable versions as they beconme available.

Do your part to spread this important message. Be creative and please contact me if you have any additional ideas.

Be A Friend And Give This Thread A Kick!

[bpilgrim]

1. thank you for your awesome work - added to GlobalFreePress.com

:toast:

http://media.GlobalFreePress.com

peace

[DistressedAmerican]

2. Great! Thanks Buddy!!!

We Are ALL In This Together!!!

That Reminds Me! I was supposed to be getting you more of my graphics. Please PM me if I don't in the next day or two!!!

DA

[snot]

3. Can you tell me where to find a source or authority for . . .

the content of the photos? I went to ACLU site and found an order . . . but I haven't seen anything confirming what it is that they're expected to show.

[DistressedAmerican]

27. Try Sy Hirsh At The New Yorker. Do not have a link but,

he has seen much of it and says it is far worse than anything we saw in the first set. He says that there are shots of rapes and murders.

He particularly noted the videos as disturbing. He said that one on them shows a 13 year old boy being sodomized by a military contractor while his mother is forced to watch. He says that the worst part is the sound of the poor kid screaming.

Rummy has to go over this. The war movement will be further energized. We are ready for this battle and we will win it.

NO MORE EXCUSES!

I'll look for the article I read and see if I can find the link. Just the description was sickening. I cannot winder how America is going to react to these.

[Warren DeMontague]

83. The reference to the videotape in question

Came from Hersh's speech to the ACLU 2004 America at a Crossroads Conference:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/7/14/193750/666

Video (if it still works)

http://stream.realimpact.net/?file=clients/aclu/conf2004/20040707_aclu_AmericaAtACrossroads_300.rm

[Barad Simith]

4. kicked and recommended

I still think it's not going to happen for a couple more weeks (and I'd LOVE to be wrong), but that just gives us all the more time to prepare.

NO MORE EXCUSES
END THE ABUSES

[me b zola]

5. when will it end???

:cry:

[DistressedAmerican]

6. When We MAKE IT STOP!!!

[brettdale]

7. Tommorrow or two weeks time?

Are the pictures released tomorrow or in two weeks time? I had heard different dates from different people.

[DistressedAmerican]

10. The Court Order Was CLEAR. Photos Tomorrow and Video in another

couple of weeks.

Be ready.

[Radio_Lady]

17. I'm ready. It's past midnight in some places now. When will these

be released and by whom?

Thanks.

[DistressedAmerican]

22. I Do not Have Specific Time Of Day. But, Today.

Here is the link to the origianl court order.

Please refer those you hear repeating rumors that they will not be released today to this document.

It is quite clear about the time frames:

http://www.aclu.org/Files/OpenFile.cfm?id=18396

Be prepared!!!

[Frederik]

46. Are you sure?

The court order you linked to doesn't say anything about releasing, just "redacting and reprocessing".

[swag]

39. Sorry, but that ruling just orders the redaction and not the disposition.

[katinmn]

8. You got it!

:kick:

[unhappycamper]

9. My Kinkos bill goes up again.

:cry:

[tubbacheez]

11. good work, good activism. kick. n/t

[Auntie Bush]

12. Great posters! Keep up the good work.

[kimchi]

13. Kick again.

No more excuses.

[Tsiyu]

14. Brilliant as usual

kicked and ----I don't need to nominate but I'm gonna anyway....:headbang:

[Swamp Rat]

15. I second that nomination

[grace0418]

16. kick

[LibertyorDeath]

18. Brilliant Thank You!!

& Rec!

[dxstone]

19. Kicked and NOMINATED!

Of course...
The issue of torture is going to be THE wedge that splits the whole barrel of worms wide open...
That poor dude on the crate has become the ultimate icon of the essential ugliness of this war, an ugliness that even the most jaded among us cannot casually deny or easily gloss over.
He's the perfect symbol because, masked as he is, he could be ANYONE.
He could be your father, your brother, your son, your friend...
He could be you.

No one would know. WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO KNOW NOW.

Bushco uses fear to motivate the masses. WE must use fear as well; we must seed the consciousness of our sleepy brethren with the RATIONAL fear that:

Tthe next guy on the crate with the wires attached COULD BE YOU.
OR YOUR LOVED ONES.
AND NO ONE WOULD EVEN KNOW.

Well done, DA...
WE ARE GOING TO MAKE THE BUGGERS' EYES WATER!!!
d

[QuettaKid]

20. A.M. kick.....

:kick:

[DistressedAmerican]

24. Hey! Welcome To Du QuettaKid!!!

The More The Merrier. Strength in numbers!!!

[Hubert Flottz]

21. " WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO KNOW NOW."

That's right...we are not allowed to know what our tax dollars are buying!

[dxstone]

26. Yes!... disgusting, isn't it?

They always say we can't know cuz it's a matter of national security... I think it's the other way around...
WE MUST KNOW! IT'S A MATTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY THAT WE DO KNOW!!!
And until we DO know... I just dunno...
d

[Hubert Flottz]

28. Out of all the slimy things Bushco has done...

the torture and killing of unarmed and helpless POWs, is the worst!

Bush has brought a greater shame to this country, than any other leader in it's 200+ year history. I keep thinking of the "Battle Of The Bulge" and the cold blooded murder of American POWs, by the Waffen-SS near Malmédy Belgium. I keep wondering now...How can America still claim to be a "Great Defender Of Human Rights"? Joachim Peiper was no worse than the people who have caused, or approved of, the ghastly horrors at places like Abu Ghraib.

Abu Ghraib is the lowest point America has ever reached IMHO! How can we expect to make things right after 9/11, by becoming monsters like the "terrorists"?

[WillyT]

23. K & N Here Too !!! - Great Job !!!

:kick:

[tsuki]

25. Kick. Great Job.

[QuettaKid]

29. 'nother kick.

Can't think of a more important story than this one THIS week especially. btw, what do you all think of a "send toast to the WH campaign"? as in bush IS TOAST!!!:kick:

[dxstone]

30. I THINK WE SHOULD ALL SEND THE PREZ A PRETZEL!

Actually, I wrote an article saying this only days after the choking incident; here's a bit of it and link to the full text...

Nothing Wrong With MY Gag Reflex!

But anyway, man!, the world press is all over this Presidential Pretzel Scandal like flies on Bob Dole!... here are just some of the headlines I was greeted with today:

'Magic Pretzel' Theory Provokes Special Investigation!

Pretzels: Good for People!... Poisonous to Deep-Space Aliens?

American Prez Nearly Kills Self, Instead of Everybody Else!

Was it REALLY a Pretzel?... or a Whole Bunch of Money?

At Least He Didn't Yak on Some Oriental Big-Wig!

and of course, that old standard from back in the Reagan Era:

X-Rays of President's Brain Reveal Nothing!


I personally lean toward the whole-bunch-of-money theory... maybe someone simply needs to explain to our chief executioner the difference between a Rold-Gold and an actual big ol' plug of rolled gold.

Didn't his mother ever tell him to chew his ill-gotten gain thoroughly before swallowing it?

Now I don't know about you guys, but like a lot of our world neighbors, I don't think this administration is doing a very good job in any way here... take the economy, for instance; in continuing to demand that we pour a seemingly endless fount of largesse upon the very parties that COULD NOT POSSIBLY NEED tax relief, while at the same time insisting we're all outta dough here, and allowing others who've worked hard all their shitty lil' lives to either grin and bear it or just blow their brains out on the off-chance that perhaps there might be some half-decent job vacancies in Hell, the present administration seems to embrace a weird sort of pretzel logic that no one else can understand...
(snip)

Choking is one of nature's little warnings, a sign that perhaps one is biting off more than they can possibly chew.
(snip)

http://presidentevilonline.com/gagreflex.html

[DistressedAmerican]

31. OH NO SATIRE!!! Quick Someone! Assume It Is Real And Demand A Link!

"X-Rays of President's Brain Reveal Nothing!"

Sounds like a graphic to me!

[catmandu57]

32. The pictures will be relased today, but,

It may be wise to wait until early in the week to put them out to the public to avoid being buried by the Friday evening news dump. I don't want these to come out and be buried by a prepared onslaught from kkkarl.

[DistressedAmerican]

33. Admitedly The Long Weekend Is A Drag. But, They Failed To Cover

up the first set to be released. They will never be able to bury these. They are far more graphic and disturbing that the first set.

Besides, We are going to make sure the story does not die. They tried to bury DSM but bloggers kept it alive!

We are going to out Karl them this time!!!

[KansDem]

55. If these photos and videos are as horrible as we expect them to be...

There will be no way they will be buried by anything...

Hersh: children raped at Abu Ghraib, Pentagon has videos
From Daily Kos' partial transcript of a video (link to REAL stream) of Seymour Hersh speaking at an ACLU event. He says the US government has videotapes of children being raped at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
" Some of the worst things that happened you don't know about, okay? Videos, um, there are women there. Some of you may have read that they were passing letters out, communications out to their men. This is at Abu Ghraib ... The women were passing messages out saying 'Please come and kill me, because of what's happened' and basically what happened is that those women who were arrested with young boys, children in cases that have been recorded. The boys were sodomized with the cameras rolling. And the worst above all of that is the soundtrack of the boys shrieking that your government has. They are in total terror. It's going to come out."
http://www.therandirhodesshow.com/randirhodes/messageboards/lofiversion/index.php/t55096.html

I remember the news stories about women in Abu Ghraib begging their men to kill them (by blowing up the prison). I wondered why at the time. I now think I know: this helps to explain that the desire to die was greater than living with the shame and disgrace forced onto them inside the prison walls.

No way will this get buried...

[DistressedAmerican]

56. EXACTLY!!! WAY TOO SHOCKING!!!

Just the descriptions make me sick to my stomach. How could they possible bury that?

[DistressedAmerican]

34. DU Can Spearhead This Effort!!! Get Acttive and Get involved!!!

We can win a major victory here. I taste it!!!

[QuettaKid]

35. This is the 11:36 a.m.

KICK!!! :kick:

[DistressedAmerican]

36. I Appreciate The Support!!!

[swag]

37. Some doubt that today is the day.

Not to be a stick in the mud, but

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/06/04/more_abu_ghraib_images_ordered/

. . .

Hellerstein did not directly order the Pentagon to hand over the photos. The ACLU lawyer involved in the case said the group expects to get the images soon after the deadline. The lawyer, Amrit Singh, said she does not know what the images show.

''All we know is that these are photographs of abuse of detainees held in Abu Ghraib," she said. ''From our perspective, the public has an undeniable right to receive all these documents, which reveal the torture of detainees and underscore the need for an independent investigation."

But Jim Turner, a Defense Department spokesman, said the judge has only ordered the military to conceal the identities of the detainees in the photos, not make them public.

''This is a matter still in litigation," Turner said. ''The court order that we have only instructs us to 'reprocess and redact' the photos. Final dispossession of the images has not been decided at this time."

. . .

[swag]

40. The order linked by DA does not state that today is the delivery deadline

rather it states that today is the deadline for DOD to have redaction of facial features completed.

http://www.aclu.org/Files/OpenFile.cfm?id=18396

I seriously doubt that these photos will be released today.

[Frederik]

43. You're right

If that order is the only one, then it looks like the DoD is only ordered to "reprocess and redact" by today.

[DistressedAmerican]

44. While, I Still Believe They Will, IOt Does Not Change Anything WHEN They C

What matters is that we are proactive and not just reacting to their spin and calling them liars. We need the public to hear the spin and KNOW in advance that it is a lie.

The abuse is ongoing. We do not need to wait on these photos to puch the effort. Tgis has been going on for a long time and will continue if we are not actring to stop it.

Act now and DO NOT STOP until l the abuse starts.

[dxstone]

57. You said it, DA!

We HAVE to start going PROACTIVE, get AHEAD of these goons or we'll ALWAYS be running behind, picking up BODY PARTS!!!

And while I'm sure most people get it from the context, you might wanna change that last word in this one...
d

[DistressedAmerican]

58. I Said It. But I Didn't Spell Check It!!!

Keep itg up until the abuse STOPS!!!

Sorry. Hadn't looked back. What a mess!

[dxstone]

60. Ahh, I'm not here to pick...

I'm just here to KICK!!!

[Frederik]

41. From what I understand

the judge ordered the photos to be made public by June 30, and the videos to be "reprocessed and redacted". But I guess we shall see soon enough if they will release them now. I wouldn't be surprised if they simply refused to release them, but then that would hopefully be a news story in itself.

[swag]

42. Do you have a source on that?

Because the judge's order does not say that, and that's all I have to go on.

Thanks.

[Frederik]

47. I would have to spend some time with google

You're right about that order; it doesn't say anything about making the photos public. But I distinctly remember having read this several places. We'll see.

[swag]

48. Thanks. If you find anything, please link back.

I appreciate it.

[Frederik]

50. a couple of stories

"A federal judge in New York on June 2 ordered the government to prepare to release the rest of the Darby photos in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union under the Freedom of Information Act. In pressing for release of the pictures, the ACLU contends that prisoner abuse was more widespread than the Bush administration has acknowledged."

"David Kelley, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, has asked Hellerstein for an extension -- until July 22 -- to get all the images, both video and pictures, ready for release. He said the Army's Criminal Investigation Crime Lab was currently processing the videos frame by frame."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/06/19/MNG0NDB1GU1.DTL

"Under the order, the Pentagon has until June 30 to redact and release 144 photos, the American Civil Liberties Union said. The Defense Department must also tell the court by June 10 how long it will take to redact four movies, which have not yet been seen publicly.

All the imagery was provided by Army Sgt. Joseph Darby who turned it over to the Army's Criminal Investigation Command in early 2004.

The 144 photos and four movies would be drawn from 1,800 photos and images Pentagon and congressional officials viewed last year after the Abu Ghraib scandal became public."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=TopNews&article=UPI-1-20050602-18421500-bc-us-detainees-aclu.xml

"Judge Alvin Hellerstein said the 144 pictures and videos can be turned over in edited form to protect the victims' identities. He gave the Army one month to release them."

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/060305A.shtml

The ACLU, at least, seem to think that the judge ordered the photos released by today, but there seems to be some confusion about this.

Anyway, it's just 144 out of 1800, so we are not necessarily going to see the worst of the photos.

[DistressedAmerican]

51. Thank You For The Update.

People are getting confused since the video comes out later. The request for an extension mainly applied to the video.


ACLU should have the shots today.

Thnaks for helping to debunk the rumors that are floating around. There are plenty...

[swag]

61. News stories don't trump judicial orders, as much as I appreciate

Frederik's research. It's not a "rumor" to say that the judicial orders we have available do not indicate that the only June 30 deadline is for "redaction" and not for hand-over.

[swag]

52. Interesting. Thanks for the research.

[XemaSab]

38. Kicked and nominated!

Great work as always, DA!

[goodboy]

45. kick...(nt)

[DistressedAmerican]

49. Kick!

[Rainscents]

53. Kick! Great Job!!!

:kick:

[hnsez]

54. KICK! NICE!

[QuettaKid]

59. You know what this is??

It's the 3:28 KICK of course!!!

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[QuettaKid]

62. One Mo' time....

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[Disturbed]

63. Thumbs up!!!

Not trying to be a negative but I feel that it would be better if these photos came out on July 5th. I hope the ACLU has the savy not to release them this Fri.

[vj68]

65. Kick

:dem::dem::dem::dem:

[DistressedAmerican]

64. When They Come Out, We Will Be Ready To Push! Don't Wait And Respond

b=get ahead of the story for once. We are not good at this. We have a golden opportunity here.

[derby378]

66. WARNING: Gallows humor

Great work!

And here's a song to taunt the neo-cons with tomorrow, or whenever these things see the light of day:

(To the tune of Rawhide - everybody sing along!)

Rollin', rollin', rollin'
Keep that prisoner rollin'
'Til that towelhead's showin
No hide!

At Abu Ghraib they're dyin'
While Rumsfeld, he's denyin'
And Code Pink wants some firin'
Of his hide

But Bush got "re-elected"
The prisoners are dejected
Their fate has been selected
No hide!

Strip 'em down
Kick a butt
Stack 'em up
Crack a nut
Take a pic
Show it off
No hide!

Chain him down
To a bed
Put some panties
On his head
Rabbit punch
To the gut...
No hiiiiiiiiiiiiide!
No hiiiiiiiiiiiiide!

NO HIDE!

[DistressedAmerican]

71. I Dig It! Gallows Humor Is Right Though!!!

Hard topic to be funny about.

Did a good job!

[kimpossible]

67. They're trying to delay release until a Friday

Ever wonder why they picked July 22nd as the date to request as an extension? Maybe because, oh, say, it's a Friday?

Rachel Maddow on AAR thinks that's why they're pushing for the extension, so as to dump the release as quietly as they can on a low-visibility news day.

[derby378]

68. aka "Take Out the Trash Day"

At least that's how the Pentagon tried to sneak out the news that the Quran really was mistreated in Gitmo - along with the detainees.

[DistressedAmerican]

69. Regardless Of When They Come Out, This Is Ongoing.

I know that you aren't arguing otherwise. But, we have to focus on the issue. The release date is less crucial.

The longer it takes, the more lead time we have to predebunk their lies and spin about them. It is rare that we get out ahead rather than playing catch up and debunk the liars.

I'm still thinking today. But, no matter. I will be working it regardelss if we never see them.

[dxstone]

70. And DON'T FORGET, Y'ALL:

If you're lacking in resources, no printer, no ink right now???... you can always go to your local LIBRARY, log into DU from there, find this thread and print (in b&w, anyway) to your heart's content!
Don't worry, that's what public libraries are for!
d

[dxstone]

72. We should attempt to gather some of those creative ideas...

...from the previous threads on this, as newbies haven't seen 'em yet, and post 'em prominently here as well, and on the next round...
They're AWFUL clever... I start gigglin' maniacally when I think about 'em...
A way AROUND the useless media! It's just too sweet!
d

[dxstone]

73. Self-delete n/t

[DistressedAmerican]

74. Yeah, There Were Some Great Ones!

Next post on the issue...

[Radio_Lady]

75. This story is important, but preempted by others of more import --

on this Friday, July 1 -- predominately the Sandra Day O'Connor resignation.

Let us know when it gets "HOT" again, Distressed American.

Until then, try to enjoy the Fourth of July weekend, will you?

In peace,

Radio Lady

[DistressedAmerican]

76. This Story May Be "Pre-empted "But The Spin Machine. But, On We Fight As

On goes the abuse.

Thanks for the interest!

[DistressedAmerican]

77. KICKING UP FROM OBLIVION!!!

:kick:

[dArKeR]

78. Here's a Camp Delta, Cuba I've never seen before

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/photo/2005/07/03/2005038373

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

79. Will this involve that alleged child rape video?

The one that Seymour Hersch referred to long ago? The one that Rumsfeld suggested was "radioactive"?

[Czolgosz]

80. So what's the latest on when and how the ACLU FOIA will come out?

[lonestarnot]

81. How much more evil do Americans need to be shown? Torture and treason

all in one week! Almost too much to take!

[Bouncy Ball]

82. I don't know any way to put it to Americans

gently that the administration currently in charge is the most corrupt and vile one this country has ever seen.