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Veterans groups urge release of photos

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis-based Veterans for Peace and two other military veteran organizations are asking the Obama Administration to release pictures of abusive treatment of detainees by U.S. soldiers.

Veterans for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War and Veterans for Common Sense said in a joint letter to Obama that releasing the disturbing images is crucial to U.S. national security and upholding international law.

The Obama administration had planned to release the photos until President Barack Obama reversed the decision in May. The administration contends the images could incite violence and riots in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

A federal appeals court in New York ruled in June that the U.S. government can keep the images secret while it asks the Supreme Court to permanently block their release.

Yusill Scribner, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan, and Dean Boyd, spokesman for the Justice Department’s National Security Division, had no comment.