Principles
by digby
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday set aside a lower court’s ruling that had ordered the release of photographs showing American soldiers abusing prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The high court’s action, which had been expected, occurred after the U.S. Congress recently approved a provision to exempt the photographs from disclosure, a measure that President Barack Obama signed into law.
The justices sent the case back to a U.S. appeals court in New York for further consideration in light of the new law and the recent certification by Defense Secretary Robert Gates that release of the photographs would endanger American soldiers.
After initially agreeing to release the photographs, Obama reversed himself in May, siding with his U.S. military advisers and said disclosure could unleash a violent backlash against U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The lesson is that if you don’t like a court decision, change the law and have someone “certify” that the older law will endanger troops. Good to know.
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