FOX "Your World with Neil Cavuto" Interview - President Obama's Move to Block the Release of Interrogation Photoes

Interview

MR. CAVUTO: Now, what was a big issue with former Vice President Dick Cheney when I was speaking with him yesterday was that it would be damaging to the U.S. image abroad all over again to release those images and to show those pictures without releasing CIA memos, the vice president contends, clearly show that some of those methods did indeed result in avoiding attacks that would have killed many, many Americans. That's something the vice president said to me yesterday. This president saying today that they have decided not to recommend releasing those photos right now, that it would not be in the nation's interest or, for that matter, in the military's interest to show anything like that at this time. He did not address, as did his press secretary not address earlier today these other images and these other memos that Mr. Cheney had talked about with me yesterday, memos from the CIA that he says exonerated the administration, that is the Bush administration, and some of the tactics that were used.

So again, just to bring you up to date, those photos that were to be released, upwards of 2,000 of them by the end of the month, that were going to show enhanced interrogation methods, including torture by some more severe critic's views are not now going to be released, at least not at this juncture. Now, reaction from Republican Congressman Mike Rogers. He sits, by the way, on the Intelligence Committee.

Congressman, what do you think of the president's decision here, hold off on releasing these, if ever?

REP. ROGERS: Yeah, I think you should never do this in war time, number one. But if may make very, very clear, what was happening here was investigated. It was clearly in violation of the law currently when these abuse photos, if you will, were discovered. And so this was not about any enhanced interrogation. This wasn't authorized. There was no legal document that said they could do this. And they were rightly so investigated and punished. We need to make that very, very clear.

MR. CAVUTO: Congressman, I've heard disputed reports as to whether all 2,000 photos are of this nature. But continue.

REP. ROGERS: But I can tell you here's the problem. We're confusing two very big issues. You mentioned the vice president yesterday. He was talking about DOJ-approved enhanced interrogation conducted on three individuals.

MR. CAVUTO: Right.

REP. ROGERS: What we're talking about in the other was the Department of Defense who had detainees, who clearly violated the rules and the Army manual, clearly. And they should have been investigated, and they should have been prosecuted. And what they were talking about was releasing these photos.

MR. CAVUTO: To be clear, Congressman -- I know we're jumping at each other. I apologize for that. But he also said just releasing them, whatever their merit or value, at this time would be bad. But continue.

REP. ROGERS: He's absolutely right on that. And this is what happens when you continue the campaign after the election. We're hoping that the president starts to end. And it seems like today he had a good start on this, that there's a time to campaign and a time to govern. And now is the time to govern. And these photos were of old incidents that were all investigated. And you wouldn't have had the context, so you would have seen this picture that may have looked awful in this picture, that was already adjudicated, and inflamed our enemies or at least they would have used it. And we've seen this before in psychological operations against our soldiers. Very, very unproductive when we have done the right thing, took the moral stand, investigated these people, put them in jail where it was necessary and other punishments along the way.

What they're also talking about now, and we hope he comes to the same conclusion, is on the enhanced interrogation techniques that members in the intelligence community, after approval, after going through a regulation process and a training process on how to conduct these enhanced interrogation, now they want to drag all of those folks through Congress and other things for truth commissions and all this other nonsense. This is the time to say our national security is too important. I say, good start, Mr. President, today, let's do it on all of it and move forward and catch terrorists and bad guys versus having congressional committees so we can get on TV. Bad idea.

MR. CAVUTO: Congressman, thank you very much.

END.

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