House Democrat Slams White House for Sealing Detainee Abuse Photos

President Obama is taking heat from his own party for Defense Secretary Robert Gates' decision to seal permanently dozens of pictures allegedly showing Americans abusing detainees in overseas military prisons.

In a statement Monday, U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., accused the administration of clamping down on the graphic photos for "short-term political gain."

"It's unfortunate that Secretary Gates has gone this route. I had hoped that the White House would revisit this and come down on the side of transparency and openness," said Slaughter, chairwoman of the House Rules Committee. "To set aside the Freedom of Information Act for short-term political gain is not in keeping with the ideals of this new administration and our obligation to put the abuses of the past behind us. I remain strongly opposed to this."

At least 44 pictures were blocked from release under the order signed Friday by Gates. The American Civil Liberties Union had sued to release the photos.

A firestorm over the pictures erupted earlier this year when the Obama administration decided to comply with, and then appeal, a court order to disclose the photographs similar to the now infamous pictures from Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison. Under pressure to resist disclosure, President Obama eventually decided to reverse course and appeal the matter to the Supreme Court. Last month, Congress passed legislation -- signed into law by Obama -- giving the defense secretary authority to keep the pictures sealed.

"I have determined that public disclosure of these photographs would endanger citizens of the United States, members of the United States Armed Forces, or employees of the United States Government deployed outside the United States," Gates said in explaining his decision to keep the photographs under wraps.

Gates said his decision followed the recommendation of Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen, head of U.S. Central Command Gen. David Petraeus and Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq.

The ACLU also expressed its dismay.

"In withholding the photos, Secretary Gates has cited national security concerns, but no democracy has ever been made stronger by suppressing information about its own misconduct," Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU National Security Project, said in a statement.

Before Obama's reversal, the New York-based Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the ACLU's Freedom of Information Act request last year to force open the pictures.