Reply #554: Morale, IMO, is a funny thing.

[apnu]

I don't believe anybody but the troops themselves really understand it. Generals will say these photos will affect the troops morale. Bullshit, I say, the troops have TV, email, newspapers, they know torture happened. They know there are photos, they know, as much as we do about the situation. That something happened, something very bad, something against the Geneva Conventions and that the government is covering it up.

Any affects on morale of this thing, has already happened. The troops either were or were not affected by the story. They don't have to see the photos to be upset (or approving, you never know) about the situation.

What makes things bad for them, and our interests everywhere in the world, is inflamed insurgents. The threat of real and surprise attack at any moment gets worse when this stuff is out there. Now, that would have an effect on morale, but not the photos. I don't think the troops will be any more or less upset about them than they already are.

The photos are not a welcome reminder for anybody, but terrorists recruiting the weak willed and weak minded. Personally, I'd rather see them out there than not. Have them released, have Obama come out and condemn them. Have the Hague prosecute whomever they wish and put this shit to bed. The more it lingers, the worse it becomes for us in the long run. Better to admit the fuckup, let the heads that have to roll, roll, and move on from there. It sucks, but that's the only way to break from this stuff cleanly and get on with life.

We can't expect any other country or group to take us seriously if we conduct what most call torture, then cover it up, or kinda-sorta admit it and then pretend nothing happened. That neither wins friends nor influences people. We look cartoon-ish like the Soviets did when their whole country went to hell and they pretended it wasn't happening.

Still its a lose-lose situation for the U.S. Release them and we screw our troops and operations in Iraq and the 'Stans. Not release them and we are screwed politically, both nationally and internationally.