President: Block Detainee Photo Release; More At Risk of Losing Their Homes
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The president wants to block the release of hundreds of photos allegedly showing abuse of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan. I'll speak about that and more with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has a long history as a military lawyer. It's the size of a school bus -- astronauts snag the Hubble telescope, reeling it into the shuttle Atlantis -- just the start of a very risky repair mission in space. And boycotts and controversy -- something many college commencement speakers have come to expect -- what awaits President Obama at some well-known universities. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. Five years after photos from a notorious prison in Iraq sparked anti-American outrage, President Obama is moving to block the release of hundreds of other pictures said to show mistreatment of prisoners in the war zones. Let's go to CNN's Brian Todd. He's here THE SITUATION ROOM. We've been watching this story and it's got some significant ramifications.</s>BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It certainly does, Wolf. The president is now accused of breaking his promise of transparency. But Mr. Obama says the security of U.S. troops is paramount. Now, we all know how controversial these images of Abu Ghraib were just a few years ago. And the White House now trying to avoid another such nightmare.</s>TODD (voice-over): The fallout resonates -- images of contorted, humiliated detainees at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison ignited violent protests throughout the Middle East. Now, President Obama, in a complete reversal, plans to fight the release of many additional photos allegedly showing the abuse of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan.</s>BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The most direct consequence of releasing them, I believe, would be to further inflame anti-American opinion and to put our troops in greater danger. Moreover, I fear the publication of these photos may only have a chilling effect on future investigations of detainee abuse.</s>TODD: Just last month, the White House agreed to release the photographs, figuring it couldn't win an open records lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. But a senior U.S. official tells CNN America's top generals in war theaters -- David Petraeus, Ray Odierno and David McKiernan -- had, in recent days, gone to the administration with concerns that the release would trigger more violent reaction -- possibly toward U.S. troops. The ACLU, which often files lawsuits to make secret documents public, isn't buying the security argument.</s>AMRIT SINGH, ACLU ATTORNEY: The fact is that these photographs depict what are likely to be serious crimes. And the victims of torture will affirm the need for accountability in this case.</s>TODD: The ACLU contends the pictures would show that abuse of detainees was systemic, extending far beyond Abu Ghraib's walls. Who's now got the upper hand legally?</s>JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: I think the Obama administration here, is on solid legal ground, because when the president says national security requires something, judges usually defer to that judgment.</s>TODD: Still, the liberal leaning ACLU shows clear disappointment in the Democratic president.</s>SINGH: This decision makes a mockery of President Obama's promise of transparency and accountability.</s>TODD: Now, White House officials dispute that, saying the photos are associated with closed investigations of abuse cases. The existence of those investigations is still posted on the Defense Department's Web site and the release of photos has no bearing on any of that, Wolf. They say it would not affect the investigations or the transparency of these investigations.</s>BLITZER: Now, had they gone forward and allowed these pictures to be released -- supposedly, they were going to be released around May 28. And that opens up another potential nightmare for the Obama administration.</s>TODD: May 28th, seven days before Mr. Obama goes to Egypt to give a major speech on U.S. relations with the Muslim world. Now, these photos could have conceivably been circulating publicly by that time. A White House official told me this had no bearing on the decision. But you can imagine that would have been a public relations nightmare when he's smack dab in the middle of Egypt and these photos are all over the place.</s>BLITZER: Yes. You're right. All right, Brian. Thanks very much for that. Another important story we're following involve -- involves foreclosures. It may be darkness before the dawn, but there's another sign that the housing situation remains bleak -- a stunning increase in the number of Americans at risk of losing their homes. Let's get the latest from CNN's Mary Snow -- Mary, these are very disturbing numbers.</s>MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are, Wolf. And, you know, despite some glimpses of hope in the overall economy in recent weeks, foreclosures hit another record high.</s>SNOW (voice-over): The numbers are so bleak, the company tracking foreclosures called April's report a shocker. But behind it, could there be a potential silver lining?</s>RICK SHARGA, REALTYTRAC: I'm hopeful that we're seeing a peak right now in foreclosure activity and that things won't get significantly worse.</s>SNOW (on camera): Last month, one in 374 homes received foreclosure filings. Of all those foreclosures, the bulk -- about 75 percent -- were centered in 10 states. The states hardest hit by the housing crisis remain at the top of the list -- Nevada, Florida, California and Arizona -- Nevada having the highest foreclosure activity. One in 68 homes receiving foreclosure filings. Rounding out that list, number 10, Ohio. One in 411 homes being affected. (voice-over): RealtyTrac blames lenders getting more aggressive on delinquent loans after a moratorium on foreclosures. And then, there's the 8.9 percent nationwide unemployment rate that's growing. Some housing experts say that is a big challenge to the administration's efforts to keep people in their homes.</s>NICOLAS RETSINAS, HARVARD JOINT CENTER FOR HOUSING STUDIES: Well, in some ways, it's a race between these government programs and the job losses. And right now, the job losses are winning that race.</s>SNOW: Still, the secretary of Housing and Urban Development says there are early signs the housing market is stabilizing.</s>SHAUN DONOVAN, HUD SECRETARY: I do expect, based on everything that we've seen, that we should be out of the housing slump, certainly by the end of the year, if not sooner.</s>SNOW: Falling housing prices and lower interest rates are attractive to first time homebuyers. But the threat of job loss threatens to hamper a full recovery.</s>SNOW: And while RealtyTrac says it's hoping this month will be the peak of the bad news, it still anticipates high foreclosure rates for several months. It does expect those numbers to slow down significantly in the second part of this year -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: All right, Mary. Thanks very much. Let's go right back to Jack for "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.</s>JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, add Mike Huckabee to the growing list of Republicans publicly taking one another down as they fight for the soul of their party. The former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate is blasting some Republican leaders: "It's hard to keep from laughing out loud when people living in the bubble of Beltway suddenly wake up one day and think they ought to have a listening tour. And it's even funnier when their first earful expedition takes them all the way to the suburbs of Washington, D.C." Huckabee is a funny guy. He's referring to that National Council for A New America formed by the likes of Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney and John McCain. Their first meeting was held in a suburb of Washington, D.C., a restaurant in Northern Virginia. Huckabee also suggests that the Republican Party is at risk of becoming as irrelevant as the Whigs if the moderate -- if it moderates its policies. And that sounds very much like what Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh have been saying. These right-wingers are not helping the Republican Party to portray itself as either more moderate or more inclusive. And while Huckabee is a lot more likable than either Limbaugh or Cheney, the message is just as shrill. And at the end of the day, it seems like Republicans are self-destructing without any help at all from the Democrats. Meanwhile, speaking of the former vice president, his daughter is now picking up right where he left off. Liz Cheney suggests President Obama appears to be siding with terrorists for at first agreeing to release photos showing alleged abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan during the Bush administration. The president has since changed his mind. He's now ordered government lawyers to object to the release of these photos, saying that it could endanger our troops overseas. The question, though, is this: How damaging is it for the Republicans to continue to criticize each other publicly? Go to CNN.com/caffertyfile and post a comment on my blog -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Democrats love to do that -- at least they used to like to do that all the time. Now the Republicans have a chance.</s>CAFFERTY: The Democrats, for a brief moment, appear to be remarkably well organized and in somewhat of an agreement on what the agenda is. That's totally unlike the Democrats.</s>BLITZER: Yes. It'll change.</s>CAFFERTY: True.</s>BLITZER: Thanks, Jack.</s>CAFFERTY: All right.</s>BLITZER: See you in a few moments. After years of top secret operations, a commander moves into the spotlight, taking charge of the war in Afghanistan. General Stan McChrystal is no stranger to combat or to controversy. Plus, high above Earth, one of the most ambitious space repair missions ever attempted -- we're following the delicate work happening right now on the Hubble space telescope. And lesson one group of schoolchildren will never forget from Michelle Obama herself. We're following the first lady as she does what she loves best.