NEW YORK (AP) -- A federal judge Thursday ordered the release of dozens more pictures of prisoners being abused at Abu Ghraib, rejecting government arguments that the images would provoke terrorists and incite violence against U.S. troops in Iraq.

U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein said that terrorists "do not need pretexts for their barbarism" and that suppressing the pictures would amount to submitting to blackmail.

An appeal of Hellerstein's ruling is expected, and that could delay release of the pictures for months.

This is something that should have happened a year ago. In fact, this should have never even been an issue in a free country with a free press and government officials who are held accountable for their actions. But that's not America. Forcing the government to admit wrongdoing is always a worrisome task. How can you trust the elected officials who use and abuse their authority to cover up their own crimes? You can't.

My favorite defense of the Abu Ghraib cover up is summed up by this quote from the above AP release:

Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had argued in court papers that releasing the photographs would aid al Qaeda recruitment, weaken the Afghan and Iraqi governments and incite riots against American troops.

General Myers is dead wrong, and spinning the truth to defend his own tenuous political position. The commission of the abuses at Abu Ghraib are the actions that would "aid al Qaeda recruitment, weaken the Afghan and Iraqi governments and incite riots against American troops." The abuses should had not been tolerated (or very probably encouraged) in the frist place. If the crimes had never been committed, or had been addressed immediately, then we wouldn't be in this situation. Covering them up does not undo the damage, nor does it excuse the abuses. In fact, covering them up encourages more of the same because it demonstrates there is no accountability for the crimes. And if there is no accountability, there is no deterrent to further atrocities.

This is a choice of the lesser evil. If we admit the torture of prisoners by Americans and hold the perpetrators responsible, then we have done the right thing. If we cover up and allow the perpetrators to escape justice, then we have betrayed our own ideals. It is a choice between what is right and what is expedient.