Obama to block release of torture photos

This isn't change we can believe in. It's more of the same. President Obama has decided to try to block a court order demanding the release of photos of U.S. troops abusing prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He said the abrupt reversal of his position came out of concern that the pictures would "further inflame anti-American opinion" and endanger U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The White House had said last month it would not oppose an appeals court ruling that set a May 28 deadline for releasing dozens of photos from military investigations of alleged misconduct. But American commanders in the war zones have expressed deep concern about fresh damage the photos might do, especially as the United States tries to wind down the Iraq war and step up operations against the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan.

It's not like the terrorists are going to fold up their tent and go home since President Obama has decided not to release the photos. If Osama is indeed sitting in a cave in Afghanistan, he's not praising Allah for the infidel Obama's wise decision to back down, he is planning his next attack.

Americans will still be targets, regardless of whether or not President Obama allows the release of the photos. And if American commanders are so concerned about the damage that will be caused by releasing the photos, perhaps they should have been more concerned when their troops were acting on orders to torture prisoners, in violation of international law.

By releasing the photos, we turn the corner from the Bush era when "equal justice under the law" was a fiction, a reminder of days-gone-by when respect for the rule of law actually meant something. But refusing to bring light to the ugly truth of the actions of those who represented our country abroad shows that our government hasn't learned from its mistakes and makes it no better than the terrorists. And the bullseye is still on America.