Graphic Abuse Photos Emerge

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: In The News

(AP)

UPDATED Previously unseen images* showing what appears to be prisoner abuse on the part of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have been revealed by an Australian television station, which reportedly acquired them following the Abu Ghraib scandal in 2006.

A slideshow of fifteen of the photos is here. Though portions are blocked out, they are extremely graphic.

Among the shots: A picture of a soldier and four nearly naked detainees, one of whom has the words "I'M A RAPEIST" written on his buttocks; a picture of a prisoner cowering while surrounded by dogs and soldiers with guns; a picture of a naked man with an unidentified white liquid coming out of his mouth; a shot of a naked detainee with eight large red welts slightly above his buttocks; a photo of a smiling soldier kneeling next to a detainee strapped down near the floor; a photo of a naked prisoner hanging upside down from the top of a bunk bed; a picture of a soldier who appears poised to punch a shackled detainee; and pictures of what appear to be the corpses of prisoners.

Another gallery is here; it includes more graphic images.

According to the Sidney Morning Herald, the photos are among those the president said this week he does not want released out of concern that doing so could put U.S. soldiers at risk, though that cannot be confirmed.

In discussing his decision, the president claimed the photos in question "are not particularly sensational, especially when compared to the painful images that we remember from Abu Ghraib."

According to the Telegraph, photos not yet released reportedly show "military guards threatening to sexually assault a detainee with a broomstick and hooded prisoners on transport planes with Playboy magazines opened to pictures of nude women on their laps." The American Civil Liberties Union has sued for the release of up to 2,000 photos.

*UPDATE: Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Patrick Ryder tells USA Today that these images appeared in Wired magazine in February of last year. Here is that story, which includes some, but not all, of the shots above. In addition, the Web site Raw Story ran the photos in 2006, though it acknowledges they went "largely unseen." They were also published in Salon.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by ricmarc2001 May 31, 2009 5:28 PM EDT: these people were prisoners because they refused to accept the fact that WE invaded THEIR country. they were tortured for NOTHING. there were no WMD's. the was NO 9/11 link.

THESE PEOPLE WERE BRUTILIZED BY SO CALLED CHRISTIANS FOR NO GOOD REASON!

some people might like to watch the movie RED DAWN. we would do the same thing the iraqi people did if invaded.; Reply to this comment


by decotoguy May 28, 2009 8:44 PM EDT: the MUSH FOR BRAINS AMERCIANS,will never charge W .BUSH or DICK C.with anything,because they will be too busy fighting WARS forever............once W BUSH said he was the WAR president, then...amercia became the WAR country.......now the world will become the enemy....; Reply to this comment


by tomadams99 May 28, 2009 3:04 PM EDT: ummm, hey bluegrass...where did you get your high school diploma...a madrassa?; Reply to this comment


by tommynutz May 28, 2009 12:58 PM EDT: Ye we must go all the way to the top, men like Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi who authorized this use of force.; Reply to this comment


by tommynutz May 28, 2009 12:56 PM EDT: I hope Osama is proud of what he did to all these people with his 9-11 attack.

I say kill em all, rape, tortue, let em all have it really bad. And the moment before their eyes close for the last time, tell them to thank Osama on the way to hell.; Reply to this comment


by bluegrass101-2009 May 28, 2009 11:39 AM EDT: The most terrifying thing to a Repiglican is a group of people who can think for themselves.!!; Reply to this comment


by bluegrass101-2009 May 28, 2009 11:35 AM EDT: Nothing here appears to be life threatening in any way. Certainly nothing approaching what they did to Nick Berg or Daniel Pearl. Libs are funny, they always side with whoever is anti- American.++++++++++F--- Daniel Pearl and Berg. They got just what they were looking for!!; Reply to this comment


by bluegrass101-2009 May 28, 2009 11:32 AM EDT: The Repiglican Party is IRRELEVANT!!!; Reply to this comment


by bluegrass101-2009 May 28, 2009 11:31 AM EDT: Can we have graphic pictures of OBAMA smoking ?
Can we have graphic pictures of OBAMA's Birth Certificate ?
Can we have graphic pictures of OBAMA with Ayers,Blago and Rev Wright ?
Can we have graphic pictures of OBAMA's client list ?
Can we have graphic pictures of OBAMA's voting record ?
Can we have graphic pictures of OBAMA's college transcripts ?
Posted by wtlibs+++++++++++++++++++++++How about a picture of you smoking, what ever?; Reply to this comment


by bluegrass101-2009 May 28, 2009 11:30 AM EDT: After looking at those photos, I can see how they make a great propaganda tool for the Muslim extremists. They should be used as evidence during the war crime trials. Now there are a couple of photos there which show medics doing their jobs attending to the wounds of others. The people being attended to could have been prisoners who had minor wounds that needed addressing before being processed and locked up. But the other more obvious photos cannot be ignored. You cannot prosecute the boots on the ground without going up the chain of command all the way to the top. Cheney & Co. OK'd torture, they called it enhanced interrogation, but that doesn't change what it was.
Posted by enriquecaliente+++++++++++++++++Daniel Pearl go t just what he was looking for!! Looking to make money for a book to write, tough!; Reply to this comment