Ex Military Intel Col. argues for full disclosure of Abu Ghraib abuses

The ACLU released the declaration of Col. Michael E. Pheneger, arguing to a Federal Court that the 2nd set of Abu Ghraib photos must be released. Col. Pheneger describes himself as a War College classmate of General Myers (who wrote a declaration supporting the government's argument to withhold the photos), and a member of the Florida ACLU. In his words:

In a democracy, we make a societal judgment that the long-term benefits of openness and freedom of information outweigh the shortterm costs that the dissemination of any particular piece of information may impose. The initial publication of the Abu Ghraib photos damaged the image and credibility of the United States and raised questions in the Islamic world about the legitimacy of our objectives, but I have seen no convincing evidence that their publication caused loss of life. ...

The release of these photos will certainly harm the reputation of the Army in which it was my honor to serve and the nation that I love. However, I believe we need a thorough public examination of the implications and effects of the Administration’s decision to abandon long-standing policies and principles that were adopted to safeguard our own military, ensure compliance to treaties and International Law, and ensure that our behavior adheres to the principle that made us great and honorable nation. This cannot occur unless the public is fully informed. The Administration has portrayed the degradation of prisoners at Abu Ghraib as the actions of a few rogue reservists. Unfortunately, there is significant evidence that the administration elected to change the rules and approve interrogation techniques that the Army had long prohibited. The first step to abandoning practices that are repugnant to our laws and national ideals is to bring them into the sunshine and assign accountability.