Iraqi Court Kicks Loose AP Photog Held by U.S.; Right-Wing Heads Explode

Posted by Digby, Hullabaloo at 11:05 AM on April 10, 2008.

Right wing bloggers' heads are exploding all over the country:

An Iraqi judicial committee has dismissed terrorism-related allegations against Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein and ordered him released nearly two years after he was detained by the U.S. military.

Hussein, 36, remained in custody at Camp Cropper, a U.S. detention facility near Baghdad's airport.

A decision by a four-judge panel said Hussein's case falls under a new amnesty law. It ordered Iraqi courts to "cease legal proceedings" and ruled that Hussein should be "immediately" released unless other accusations are pending.

The ruling is dated Monday but AP's lawyers were not able to thoroughly review it until Wednesday. It was unclear, however, whether Hussein would still face further obstacles to release.

The bad news is that the US is probably going to invoke a Yoo Hoo: where the rule of law only applies when the government, at its discretion, believes it won't cause a security risk:

U.S. military authorities have said a U.N. Security Council mandate allows them to retain custody of a detainee they believe is a security risk even if an Iraqi judicial body has ordered that prisoner freed. The U.N. mandate is due to expire at the end of this year.

Oh well. The wingnuts can work their little hearts out for McCain to win in November to ensure the continuation of the glorious GWOT which justifies the torture and imprisonment of innocent people both here and around the world. That's how we keep the country safe.

Here's good backround on the Michele Malkin led witch hunt, if you're unfamiliar with it. More here.

Tagged as: iraq, press freedom, bilal

Digby is the proprietor of Hullabaloo.