Greg Djerejian commends Judge Hellerstein for his decision yesterday in favor of release of Abu Ghraib photos the Pentagon has asked to remain secret. And the decision is worth commending:

Suppression of information is the surest way to cause its significance to grow and persist. Clarity and openness are the best antidotes, either to dispel criticism if not merited or, if merited, to correct such errors as may be found. The fight to extend freedom has never been easy, and we are once again challenged, in Iraq and Afghanistan, by terrorists who engage in violence to intimidate our will and to force us to retreat. Our struggle to prevail must be without sacrificing the transparency and accountability of government and military officials. These are the values FOIA was intended to advance, and they are at the very heart of the values for which we fight in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Shorter Hellerstein: Sunlight is the best disinfectant. And strong societies let the sun shine in," Greg writes. Amen. More on this via Greg from Knight-Ridder's venerable Joe Galloway, "Responsibility Runs Up."

Posted by Laura at September 30, 2005 10:59 AM