Generals Petraeus and Odierno Testify, Release of Pix Will Kill Americans

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continues to be a tool of the ACLU left as she is working hard to get rid of the McCain/Graham amendment to the war spending bill which will  bar the release of photographs showing alleged U.S. abuses of terrorists.

Pelosi told MSNBC’s Ed Schultz on Wednesday, “I don’t think Congress should make an exception to FOIA" (freedom of information act). Of course Pelosi is reversing her earlier stance in which she said she would “support” the Obama administration’s push to keep the photos secret. The amendment was unanimously passed by the Senate. But a House-Senate conference committee working on the bill appears ready to eliminate the photo provision. Lieberman and Graham vowed Wednesday to shut down Senate business to save the legislation.  Both men have stressed that they are less concerned about the legality involved than the grave threat to U.S. troops if the photographs are released.

That's the Issue, Pelosi and her Congressional Democratic followers are worrying about politics, the Senate is worrying about protecting our heroes overseas who risk their lives every minute of the day to protect our families.

Below is what the Generals Generals Petraeus and  Odierno have said about the need to keep those pictures under wraps:

America's Top Generals Warn Against Detainee Photo Release

DECLARATION OF GENERAL DAVID H. PETRAEUS
Commander of the United States Central Command

Endangering the Lives of US Servicemen and Servicewomen
"The release of images depicting U.S. servicemen mistreating detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan, or that could be construed as depicting mistreatment, would likely deal a particularly hard blow to USCENTCOM and U.S. interagency counterinsurgency efforts in these three key nations, as well as further endanger the lives of U.S. Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, Sailors, civilians and contractors presently serving there. " (Declaration of General David H. Petraeus, ¶ 2, Motion to Recall Mandate, 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Docket No. 06-3140-cv)

Threaten Troops in Afghanistan
"Newly released photos depicting, or that could be construed as depicting, abuse of detainees in U.S. military custody in Iraq and Afghanistan would place U.S. servicemen in Afghanistan at heightened risk and corrosively affect U.S. relations with President Karazai's government, as well as further erode control of the Afghanistan government in general." (Declaration of General David H. Petraeus, ¶ 12, Motion to Recall Mandate, 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Docket No. 06-3140-cv)

"An influx of foreign fighters from outside Afghanistan and new recruits from within Afghan could materialize, as the new photos serve as potent recruiting material to attract new members to join the insurgency. ... Attacks against newly-arriving U.S. Marines and soon-to-arrive U.S. Army units in the south, and transitioning U.S. Army units in the east, could increase, thus further endangering the life and physical safety of military personnel in these regions." (Declaration of General David H. Petraeus, ¶ 12, Motion to Recall Mandate, 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Docket No. 06-3140-cv)

"In addition to fueling civil unrest, causing increased targeting of U.S. and Coalition forces, and providing an additional recruiting tool to insurgents and violent extremist groups, the destabilizing effect on our partner nations cannot be underestimated." (Declaration of General David H. Petraeus, ¶ 12, Motion to Recall Mandate, 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Docket No. 06-3140-cv)

Turn Back Progress in Iraq and Incite Violence
"Newly released photos depicting abuse, or that could be construed as depicting abuse, of Iraqis in U.S. military custody would inflame emotions across Iraq and trigger the same motivations that prompted many young men to respond to calls for jihad following the Abu Ghraib photo release. After the Abu Ghraib photos were publicized in 2004, there was a significant response to the call for jihad, with new extremists committing themselves to violence against U.S. forces. Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and Sunni insurgents groups in Iraq will likely use any release of detainee abuse images for propaganda purposes, and possibly as an opportunity to widen the call for jihad against U.S. forces, which could result in a near-term increase in recruiting and attacks." (Declaration of General David H. Petraeus, ¶ 7, Motion to Recall Mandate, 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Docket No. 06-3140-cv)

Help Destabilize Pakistan
"Newly released photos depicting abuse of detainees in U.S. military custody in Afghanistan and Iraq would negatively affect the on-going efforts by Pakistan to counter its internal extremist threat." (Declaration of General David H. Petraeus, ¶ 8, Motion to Recall Mandate, 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Docket No. 06-3140-cv)

DECLARATION OF GENERAL RAYMOND T. ODIERNO
Commander of Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I)
Release of Photos will Result in Harm to US Soldiers
"The 2004 publication of detainee photos resulted in a number of posting on internet websites. Perhaps the most gruesome of internet reactions to the photo publication was a video posted in May 2004 showing the decapitation murder of US contractor Nicholas Berg. A man believed to be Zarqawi specifically made the linkage between the abuses at Abu Ghraib and Berg's murder saying "And how does a free Muslim sleep comfortably watching Islam being slaughtered and [its] dignity being drained. The shameful photos are evil humiliation for Muslim men and women in the Abu Ghraib prison .... We tell you that the dignity of the Muslims at the Abu Ghraib prison is worth the sacrifice of blood and souls. We will send you coffin after coffin and box after box slaughtered this way." (Declaration of General Raymond T. Odierno, ¶ 8, 9, Motion to Recall Mandate, 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Docket No. 06-3140-cv)

"I strongly believe the release of these photos will endanger the lives of U.S. Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Sailors and civilians as well as the lives of our Iraqi partners. Certain operating units are at particular risk of harm from release of the photos. One example is our training teams throughout Iraq. These are small elements of between 15 and 30 individuals who live on Iraqi-controlled installations and thus do not have the same protections afforded to many of our service members. In addition, as they assist our Iraqi partners, members of such teams are regularly engaged in small-unit patrols, making them more vulnerable to insurgent attacks or other violence directed at U.S. forces. Accordingly, there is good reason to conclude that the soldiers in those teams and in similarly situated units would face a particularly serious risk to their lives and physical safety." (Declaration of General Raymond T. Odierno, ¶ 4, Motion to Recall Mandate, 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Docket No. 06-3140-cv)

"MNF-1 will likely experience an increase in security incidents particularly aimed at U.S. personnel and facilities following the release of the photos. Incidents of spontaneous violence against U.S. forces, possibly including attacks from outraged Iraqi police or army members are likely. Such increased attacks will put U.S. forces, civilians, and Iraqi partners at risk of being killed, injured, or kidnapped. The photos will likely be used as a justification for adversaries conducting retribution attacks against the U.S. for bringing shame on Iraq." (Declaration of General Raymond T. Odierno, ¶ 11, Motion to Recall Mandate, 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Docket No. 06-3140-cv)

Release of 2004 Photos Resulted in Successful Attacks Against U.S. Forces
"The public dissemination of detainee abuse photos in 2004 likely contributed to a spike in violence in Iraq during the third quarter of 2004 as foreign fighters and domestic insurgents were drawn to Iraq to train and fight. Attacks on C[oalition] F[orces] increased from around 700 in March 2004 to 1800 in May (after the photographs were broadcast and published) and 2800 in August 2004. Attacks on C[oalition] F[orces] did not subside to march 2004 levels until June 2008. These increased attacks resulted in the death of Coalition Forces, Iraqi forces, and civilians." (Declaration of General Raymond T. Odierno, Motion to Recall Mandate, ¶ 7, 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Docket No. 06-3140-cv)

Increase Recruitment for Extremist Organizations and Incite Attacks
"I believe these images will be used to inflame outrage against the U.S. and be used by terrorist organizations to recruit new members. The release of the photos will likely incite Muslim idealists to join the cause to seek retribution for the dishonor they may perceive to have been brought against all Muslims by the U.S. inside Iraq, the publicity over the images could incite additional attacks on U.S. personnel by members of the Iraq Security Forces." (Declaration of General Raymond T. Odierno, Motion to Recall Mandate, ¶ 16, 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Docket No. 06-3140-cv)