CNN

Don't we have enough problems? who realy cares if some terrorists get tortured? Did you ever wonder how American prisoners get treated in other parts of the world? I bet thier governments don't fall all over themselves to protect our people from torture. kinda tit for tat I'd say!

Our government has no choice. Laws were broken, treaties disregarded and what our country has always stood for ignored.
However, the people following orders are not as guilty as those
giving them and supporting anti-American behavior.
Who cares what Cheney, nine republicans have to say, Jack?
They were all part of the conspiracy.
It is just another black mark from the last eight years our country
is faced with.

Are'nt we the worlds policeman. When we can investigate our own wrongs how can get judge the rest of the world. Chaney asked for this report and he has got it.

Naming a special prosecutor is a first step but only a first step. Unless he is ordered to go after all of those responsible, including those like Cheney who order torture, it will do no good.
Brownwood, Texas

Absolutely not!!! This is the ONLY time in my life that I have agreed with a Republican. Candidate Obama promised he wouldn't do this. Eric Holder works for him and should be told to HOLD IT!!

It is really hard to raise children in the current enviornment. You try to show them that there are consequences to their actons, but no one was held accountable for the banking mess. Nobody took the fall for years of poor planning in the automobile business which led to the most recent mess and bankruptcy and no one is being held accountable for our nation going against eveything we ever preached to other nations about torture and the treatment of POWs. The laws apply to all, the common man and those in political power. Try explaining that to you kids in the current enviornment. If you break the law nothing will happen to you as long as you have the power. Well Obama and the Democrats have the power now, maybe they will set a better example by which to raise my children.

This is the same old rubbish. Blame Bush and the republicans and the CIA when your own house is a mess. The strategy is always, always blame the other guys loudly to attempt to distract us from the socialist garbage. Knock it off. We get it.

Yes, otherwise we are no better than anyone out there that we loathe. All too often we hear from those of the "right" persuasion that it doesn't matter what we do to others to keep America safe. If we believe that, then we forfeit any growth we have made as a leader for the rest of the civilized world. Dehumanization of our enemies is merely a step on the sociological ladder toward accepted genocide. But then again, that's what usually happens to brown people in most "Christian" nations.

Well sure, why the heck not, while we are at it lets just open our borders completely, lay down our guns and let anyone do anything they want to us. Here's my question, while they are doing that are they going to investigate whether Pelosi lied about knowing?

Even though I despise Cheney and almost never agree with the party of NO, I agree with them on this one. A special prosecutor will spend a lot of money, kill morale and the people who were really responsible ie. Cheney will not be prosecuted and some poor slob who was doing his job will. This is a bad idea and is something this country does not need at this point in it's history.

Yes it is I would be more than happier to see Dick Cheney in jail .

Hi Jack again
Yes it is, if we don't have teeth to our laws why have them. The president said that he would rather look forward and he should, however we need to have a record of those who lie, cheat and steal against this country.

We need to determine if laws were broken and by whom and then if the President doesn't want to prosecute, so be it.

We OUGHT to be investigating the treatment of federal inmates in the U.S. prison system. Torture? Every day and night of the ridiculously long sentences dished out for non-violent offenses inmates are subjected to cruel and inhumane conditions and nobody pays any attention to those atrocities yet we are worried about alledged torture of enemy terrorists. We have to look within our own prison system and fix that which is so wrong. I know. Nobody cares. Jerry Fredrickson Duluth, Mn

Yes, why become like the countries that we criticize. We cant become animals because of 9/11. I believe Cheney would have supported torture without a 9/11.

Jack, Well of course it is. After all it adds some more useless, temporary jobs to the government payroll, and makes it look like Holder is doing something. Nothing constructive will come from the effort, however, it will infuse millions of dollars into the economy and add more to the the already runaway deficit. Besides, it helps take the focus off the health care battle.

Yes. The same people who spent untold millions of taxpayer dollars on a special prosecutor to try to kick Clinton out of office for having a good time are now scared to death about a special prosecutor exposing them as war criminals. Why do these government goofs believe that once you are out of office, you are granted full immunity?

Is naming a special prosecutor to investigate torture a good idea?

Actually no...intelligence laws were broken no doubt, but not unlike most are destined to be mired in confusion and ambiguity...congressional politicians are well advised to consider matters they can handle at their own expense...in any event the Obama administration has more important things to do if it intends to seek a second term in 2012...

Can the GOP explain – exactly how does investigating if crimes were committed leave us open to attack? The enemy will hate us either way and at least we can either exonerate good men or punish bad ones. We're not playing this card for the terrorists, but to prove we follow our own laws and the Geneva Convention/International law. Most Americans do not want to believe we could be the "Bad guys" in any situation and we owe it to ourselves to know the truth.

YES – The enemy will hate us either way and at least we can either exonerate good men or punish bad ones.

Yes. I am one of those who believes that the guilty should be punished. I am sick and tired of hearing about national security being the reasons for everything. Cheney and Bush are just as guilty of war crimes as the German leaders of WWII.

Not investigating what really went on during interrigation sessions is the same as closing your window blinds when there is criminal activity in the streets where you live.

As Americans, we have a moral obligation to report crimes and assist in investigations in order to have the bad guys locked up.

If the CIA or it's secret contractors crossed the line, they should be held accountable, otherwise, the CIA is no better than the KGB or the "secret police" of any those "other" nations that are on the list of countries that sponsor or harbour terrorists.

It's a GREAT idea. It's about time we get to see what was done in our name. It's all there in black and white (but mostly black) and from what we are allowed to read, laws WERE broken and people SHOULD be prosecuted. And even though they say this won't reach the people who wrote the laws, once a special prosecutor starts, he won't stop 'til everyone who's involved is held accountable. That may be wishful thinking, but it may also be a reality in this case.

I would imagine having this view of torture is going to be a lot different than those who have never put on the uniform to fight for the rights, freedoms, and liberties that we all proudly enjoy, that we hold ourselves to more humane treatments of prisoners. To do otherwise is to dishonor those before us who held these proud standards, and expect their sons, and daughters to do the same. For those who think that they can frighten us into believing that it was done on our behalf are the very ones who have never lifted a weapon in defense of this great nation. They should be held accountable for the dishonor that they have shown our sons, daughters, mothers, brothers, dads, uncles, and forefathers, and for the offense against the Constitution itself.

I am a 72 year old Army veteran. I struggle to find the words to express my contempt for the way military functions have been outsourced and privatized, along with that of so many other government functions including intelligence gathering. It's not so much that the methods used were wrong, so much as that these methods were given to a bunch of irresponsible thugs who won't be held accountable for their abuses, and charging obscene amounts of tax money to do it. Outrage doesn't quite say it.

Yes, we signed the Geneva convention, and agreed to it's ideals. I would hate to think that our "enemies" would torture or mistreat our soldiers,or, our sons and daughters in retaliation to what we do to POW's in a prison camp. To think we would tortue anyone in captivity is not what America is about, we are better than that.

Jack, if thay had a special prosecutor to invesitgatgate the personal indiscretions of then president Bill Clinton. Why not? People like to hear the dirt. I,d like to know how low, the people at the top will go.

"... waterboarding, staging mock executions, and threatening suspects with guns, power drills, and the safety of their family members."

The CIA used these tactics on people who they thought were responsible for 9/11 and who they thought were planning another attack. So while the CIA threatened suspects with guns, power drills, and the safety of their family members the people they were questioning actually used guns and other methods to kill others - including families.

It will not be a good idea politically, but it is the right thing to do. Naming a special prosecutor will be the final nail in the coffin of bipartisanship. The conservatives will go ballistic. Too bad they forgot that we are a nation of laws. There needs to be justice for all so that we can retain our American values.

Until recently, I felt an investigation of interrogation methods used on terror suspect would be a huge distraction to fixing the financial crisis, healthcare reform, and waging two wars. However, since Dick Cheney keeps bringing the subject up, and just won't let go, he has convinced me the time has come to finally get to the bottom of exactly what was done and who authorized it. Added to the smoking gun that has been there all along, he has provided the smoking mouth - his form of whistling in the graveyard.

As much as I hate opening a can of worms like this, Jack, I think it is essential that we do this. We MUST have answers as to whether the interrogations overstepped the bounds of what we, as a nation, agreed to when we signed the Geneva Conventions and various other international laws in order to prevent it from ever happening again! If we intend to have the respect of our fellow nations in the world, they must be assured that we will live up to our obligations and follow the rule of law.

Cheney's protests are self-protection, because I believe that once the investigation is under way, we will see that he was probably the instigator. He never has felt like laws apply to him. If these violations are proven, and are traced back to him, perhaps he will lose enough credibility that the media will stop quoting him. Lowering ourselves to do what terrorists do DOES NOT make us safer...it just means that the lines blur between who is the terrorist and who is the target.

Its not a good idea for any body to investigate the CIA's actions some things should be left alone the only thing that we need to be concernd about is that there methode worked and we need to leave lying dogs alone.

Jack I have to add this... when our advisaries lop off heads of their prey and then we react with the same the cycle continues. We as Americans aware of what took place in WWII decided that torture was not in our best interest hence it to be used against us.

We haven't changed that law have we? We must find out who is guilty, if anyone.

Jack
I think not to investigate would condone the rumors. We need to find the truth not to incriminate but educate..

Jack,

Hell yes! The ends NEVER justify the means. When are these right-wing militants going to understand that principle? If these people broke American laws, they should be tried and punished, just like the rest of us.

Brian
Boise, ID

Yes it is. Do we, as a nation respect the Geneva convention or not? I heard the opponents say that the enemy is ruthless and killers. So what. As I recall the Germans and Japanese were not patsies in WWII, yet we didn't sink to authorized torture then.

Why do we have to sink into the same depravity as out enemy? Are we that weak? Are we that pitiful?

Investigate and prosecute when laws are broken, if not, why bother with a "rule of law"?

The democrats need to get their own business in order forget what the past administration did. They only reason they want to open this back up is because they are not doing so well on all of their issues. The Democrats just want to keep bad mouthing President Bush and all replublicans. I am an Independent and I will tell you for sure that won't be voting for any Democrats in any election any too soon, 2010 or 2012. They need to pay attention to what they are suppose to be doing.

Yes on the special prosecuter, Jack and to those screaming loudly against it I would paraphrase two things- Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels, and those who are willing to circumvent the law to supposedly preserve their freedom don't deserve that freedom.

I suppose it depends on whether you wish to crawl in the mud with the same people you're fighting or whether you wish to adhere to the aspirations of what the United States of America is supposed to inspire. Personally, I'll give up some security if it means I don't have to crawl under the rock where the likes of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Osama bin Laden live.

Assigning a prosecutor to look into people who broke the law? Sounds like a good idea to me, unless somehow we're above the law now.

Schenectady, NY

I think so. This stuff has been shown to be ineffective and just sounds like more of the same chickenhawk nonsense that got us into the war with Iraq to begin with.

Let's investigate and get it behind us so that it doesn't happen again. And then let's get on to fixing the economy and health care.

The only way to get beyond any wrongness in our past is to expose and acknowledge it and then prosecute the evil doers who violated the laws of human decency and ethics. This concept applies all the way up to the highest levels of government where the decisions to use illegal and immoral tactics were approved. If the president disagrees with the outcome of any prosecutions he has the power to pardon the evil doers if he feels that is correct.

I say we should not move ahead with a special prosecutor. In my experience all they do is waste tax payer money and accomplish next to nothing. Let''s save the money or put it to use hiring people for jobs. The only special prosecutors that did an excellent job, and at little cost was Woodward and Bernstein and they never even got an atta boy for their good efforts. Why can't we just get McCain and the Military Officers Association of America to write a bill that clearly spells out legal and illegal torture methods in case a guy like Dick Cheney comes along again in the future.

I actually have to agree with what Obama intends to do; look forward and not back. Unless I heard incorrectly, that was a statement that was released. Sometimes, it is just better to let things lie. People were just carrying out orders and doing what they were trained to do; the way to change this in the future is to change the leadership and people GIVING the orders. Let bygones be bygones and just try to make the future better than the past.
Lucy
SF, CA

Absolutely. Only full sunlight will clean up this infection. They may never get the punishment deserved at the highest level, but the shame might keep it from happening again.

CHENEY WHO? Why are we still listening to this guy? Attorney General Eric Holder might yet prove to us in the present era that, truly, no one is above the law. As against an earlier argument advanced by Dick Cheney and some Republicans, the end does not justify the means. Western democracies have long discarded such an argument. In some Moslem countries, they cut off body parts of prisoners in their search for truth, or for sheer revenge. Can we do this, and still be different—and better. Some have argued that Eric Holder has not gone far enough—as he placed an unwarranted limit on what may be probed. Some human rights groups have called for a full probe. Without doubt expediency dictates Eric Holder’s more limited action. He is duty-bound under the Constitution to uphold the law—without bias or special favors to the powerful. When he does this, he is demonstrating to the world the sanctity and integrity of the American legal system. Some like Dick Cheney may beg to differ. In fact, Cheney’s attitude suggests his contempt for the law. Thus he openly disagrees with his boss for not giving full pardon to “Scooter” Libby. Cheney hovers menacingly over our current political horizon, still kicking, still arguing that we are stronger and more secure as a nation by doing things that are over the top, things that clearly violet American and international law. We should not fall for such a sugar-coated approach to governance. We are better off as a nation of laws!

It's an excellent idea. And what a surprise that Republicans are pulling that fear card out yet again? Bush et al disgraced and terrorized us along with God knows how many victims in the Muslim world. Justice either works for all of us, or it simply doesn’t work

I believe that torture, in principle, is wrong. But considering the nature of terrorism, and the determination of terrorists, it is hard to argue against it. Countless lives may have been saved by "terrorising" those individuals into giving out information, and this affair may very well start a witch hunt which will impact on the intelligence community. I cannot believe that, under special circumstances and in private, any Head of State would not go to any lenghts to extract information that could save children's lives.

Retired Special Forces here. If he's a High Value prisoner, then toture should be waved to get the High Value information. It's tough to swollow. Be glad it isn't your decision.

If the point were to investigate whether crimes were committed that could be done without publicity until the results are known. The public announcement makes it clear this is more about politics than justice, which is exactly what we have all come to expect from Washington. Ironically, it is not clear in the end that this will help Obama. Perhaps he can invite Cheney and Holder to the White House for a beer.

I can't believe we are getting all riled up about shooting a gun in a nearby room to a terrorist or threatening them with a drill. They treat their wives like this in these countries! All this prosecution of the CIA will make us less safe for years to come.

No. It will only, once again, pull the rug out from under and the teeth out of the CIA. If they go throiugh with this, watch the mass exodus from the CIA and the reprecussions for Obama if he allows this to happen and we are attacked, again. We will instill timidity in the CIA when we face more danger now than anytime in my 49+ years on this planet.

It frustrates me that Democrats seem to be more concerned about the rights of terrorists than they are American citizens. The Democrats need to quit playing games with the security of my country.

What part of “illegal” doesn’t Dick Cheney understand? No lawyer can just write a memo to reverse existing law. Our standing in the free world is at stake until the torturers are prosecuted. Historically, the FBI has always done the interrogations. It was Cheney that turned it over to the CIA and its contractors, since he could direct the action. The FBI wouldn’t have cooperated with the torture. They know it doesn’t work and is illegal.

way overdue to know if lies were told, and it should include g w bush and cheney, to ask them, did they okay it or know of it, or else it is a weak investigation, and seriously does anyone think with all we know, gw did not know all going on, seriously,

Well with the Obama administration expressing the desire to attempt to ignore the past, I can't see anything coming of this,, and that it's probably more for show,, for appearances than anything else.. I mean where do they believe it's going to lead? Is it going to address the practice of hiring contractors for information gathering,, for the questioning of so-called war combatants? Is it going to reach those in leadership positions,, because if not, it's just a glorified witch hunt.. I'm more interested in interrogating those that are hunting down Bin Laden,, or terrorizing the American public for political purposes, as well as keeping threat levels up in our minds to justify,, at least, a questionable foreign policy.

Normally I would never agree with anything that came out of the Bush White House or their tactics, but this is one occasion when I would have to agree with the Republicans.

Do I care if CIA interrogators threatened suspects with a drill, or told them 'they would kill their children" if anything happened in the US?

these are the people who would gladly kill YOUR children. Why would I care??

Yes it is, we have known for years that Shotgun Chaney and Shrub Bush were going around the law and doing things that were against the law, now it is time for the jerks to pay up, these two and their band of thieves have all but destroyed this country with all of their lies, illegal activities and selling out to their lobbyist buddies.

Ollie North is an example of what goes wrong. He was never punished for the Contra fiasco. He was bound by Oath to disobey that order. But that was only drugs and stinger missles.

Like the Bush admin told us when we discovered they were wiretapping our email and phones:
"If you haven't done anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about."

If the law has been broken, the ones responsible should be held accountable. Otherwise, torture remains on the table like a loaded weapon, waiting for the next republican administration to pick up where Cheney and Bush left off.

Are we stil Americans Jack? Of course we have to investigate. Republicans do the most unamerican things, and are quick to call everyone else unamerican.

Absolutely! Americans no little enough of what happens in the world in their name. Its time we start educating ourselves about the "less visible" activities of our government and entities representing the US around the world. How can we claim to be a representative government when their is less and less transparency regarding governmental activities.

Absolutely Jack. If a crime has been committed, then the people responsible need to be brought to justice. It annoys the heck out of me when Obama says he just wants to move on and look forward. Say there's a bank robbery, or a murder. I don't think Obama would be agree that we just need to move on and look forward, and let the perpetrator(s) walk. Same in this case. Based on all the leaked documents and news reports, there was torture. That is against the law. So therefore, we need to do something about it.

without question yes. the bush people could no more break the laws of the country than anyone else and if they did they should be held accountable. not the people that carried out the orders because they are just following orders but the people who gave the orders should be held accountable. years ago Nixon once said that if the president does it its not against the law. this was wrong then and it still is. no one is above the laws of the land no one not even the president.

7 years we're told the US doesn't torture nor to we have secret jails. Now we know all that was a lie. We do torture men/woman/children to get answers by any means necessary. Cheney is scared as he should be because he's a War Criminal. Those from the top who gave the order for these crimes should be charged. If not it will happen to the United States in the future.

Absolutely NOT!
ONE person should not be chosen as a special prosecutor. Who knows if that person agrees with the same punishment tactics as the CIA themselves? ONE person alone cannot be punished, no matter how "good" they are. Instead, a group of well behaved prosecutors who don't belive in torture should be chosen. NOT one person.

The Bushies are afraid that they will be prosecuted – and rightfully so! They were criminals then and remain criminals now.

Start with Cheney and the rest will fall like dominos. Lets see how they like Shock and Awe!!

Since the Bush Administration created a huge amount of embarassment and ill will abroad with their war, I think it will help our country rebuild our reputation by holding the people who authorized the crimes to be held responsible. If Cheney thinks what they did is okay, he needs to go to remedial sunday school.

It is not a good idea for the Obama Administration. It is not a good idea for Republicans and it is not a good idea for former Bush Officials so I guess it is a good idea.

We can't raise our kids with an understanding of honor and morals while at the same time being the first to pounce on another country for violating a human rights treaty. What's good for the Goose is good for the Gander. Cheney should go back to his undisclosed secure location and pack his bag(s).

Yes, The Attorney General has a responsibility to see if laws were broken. Unlike the Bush administration the White House does not tell the Attorney General what cases to investigate.

yes this is scary it reminds me of slavery all over again

Yes, Investigate, prosecute and punish any one who breaks the law.
the minute the terrorist get you to act like a terrorist, they have won.
Let's be sure we do the right thing and uphold the law.

YES! YES! YES!
We must reach a resolve as a country if we ever want to claim the moral high ground as a country.

We must clean this blight legally or our soldiers will pay the consequences if they are ever captured.

My only concern is for those that were following orders. This investigation must hold the leaders that sanctioned their actions accountable.

Jack, let's get to the bottom of crimes of the W. Bush Administration.

Its about time. Torture has no place in the US. Even if they go overseas and do it. Lets follow the logic, something is illegal in the US, we go overseas and get away with it? That's not how the law works, especially if you're a government employee.

Torture never give good intell. And I've read intell. Some better than others. Lots from the media. More than you'd think. Smoke that all you whiners about the 'liberal media'. We suck it all in and read it. Sometimes they report stuff we're interested in.

Torture is a war crime. It should be prosecuted. Period. If we have to go up the food chain, so be it.

Consider this, if we have an American tortured in any other country now, what recourse do we have? How about American troops? We jeopardized them, for what?

I'm waiting for the CIA report that said they confessed to being witches, warlocks and converted lead into gold.

Amateurs torture. Losers torture. Criminals torture.

Jack,

If laws were broken, then the people who did it need to be brought to justice. If laws weren't broken (and this is the part that needs discussion), then the US is just another rogue nation who tortures people for their own purposes the same as many other rogue nations that the US used to condemn, once upon a time. In either case, you need a special prosecutor with no axe of his own to grind to determine which is true. How else will Americans ever regain the respect of the world?

Jack of course there should be a special prosecutor. Was there one for sex in the White House? Was that ok? So which is the lessor evil? Did we accept the torture and vile undertakings of The Nazis after WW11 or were the Nuremberg trails a sham? Did we accept then the notion that if I'm told to do wrong I must obey? I think not.

Jack,
The Bush administration went far beyond anything lawful in its anti-terror campaign. They and their lackeys in the Justice Department justified methods that are considered torture under international and our own laws. Thus, we have the legal obligation to prosecute all of this if it is found to be criminal. " Following orders" was ruled out as justification by the Nurenberg trials. Thus if we prosecute the CIA and other agents involved, we MUST certainly prosecute those who gave the orders. Nothing i this latest report supports Cheney's claims. Nothing in the report indicates torture was what gained any information.

Jack, is anything our government does ever a good Idea? Jack from Nice, Ca.

Let's not punish the little guys. Let's go up to the top like VP Cheney and Pres. Bush, Mr. Rumsfeld, where these orders came from. The CIA has always done a its job, but by orders.
Don't forget Abu Gharib – where an outside organization was hired to torture, interrogate these prisoners. Yet only the two lowest grades in the chain went to jail. A joke indeed. A sad one for our country.

Maria/San Diego

How would cheney like it if someone from the middle east pulled up to his house broke in and tortured him. After it was all over he was told that it was all in the name of getting to the truth and nothing will be done about it. That what we american call JUSTICE!

I do beleive a special prosecutor is the way to go.Mr cheney says this prosecutor should yeild evidence that torture works...ok lets get on with it then.Until some american troop is captured and waterboarded the debate will remain the same. It seems to me that the united states is a do as i say and not as i do country. i also find it very interesting that it is the RELIGIOUS right who mostly sanction these kinds of behaviour.

Yes. We need to know the truth about who authorized the torture techniques so that these kind of interrogation methods will not be used in the future. Those who participated in unlawful acts need to be held accountable. We need to show countries around the world that the U.S. does not torture. These kind of interrogation tactics have been proven not to work, and it only makes us look bad when we do it. If our country treats detainees this way, we can only expect other countries to torture our soldiers if they get captured. Also, our enemies will use our actions as recruiting tools to bring other people into terrorism.

I was not there and those were difficult times. I think that we should put it behind us and try not to repeat it. I've read nothing reliable that says that it worked and I hope we set up an interrogation team to do it without using the methods used in the past. I'm going to assume that the interrogation was conducted in good faith because administration lawyers cleared it., If anyone is to blame it's the lawyers.

Prosecuting to uphold the law? You bet thats the right thing to do.

Jack,

Naming a special prosecutor to investigate torture claims is exactly the right thing to do. It removes any conflict of interest that the republicans will surely bring up if things don't go their way, and it allows that independant investigator the room to ask the tough questions that need to be asked.

Dick Cheney said the Inspector General’s report would prove that interrogation tactics were successful in obtaining useful information from detainees? He says we should be praising the people responsible for conducting these interrogations?

"So."

Do we give rapists a pass just because their actions cause their victims to become pregnant?

Jack, I wouldn't care about getting the little guys unless they were sickos, but I think the people who ordered and authorized torturing prisoners should be strung up.
What happens in the heat of the battle is one thing, but to coldbloodedly torture someone over and over is not the American way. We did it the right way in Vietnam – basically we took no prisoners.

Yes, Jack, a special prosecutor should be appointed to investigate
torture. The law was broken, and those accountable should be
held fully accountable... every single one of them, right up to former
VP Cheney and former President Bush. My grandson is a Marine.
I worry, if he would ever be captured by another country, if he would
get humane treatment. My concern is that he would not, since we
in America were so guilty of torturing others. As has been proven
over and over, torture is not the best way to get to the truth. What
a barbaric society we acted like! I am ashamed. And I will be
further ashamed if those who ordered, participated in and condoned
this torture are not brought to trial on charges of war crimes.

I don't understand why people are getting so worked up over this. These are terrorists that we are dealing with, not some criminal from the streets. How else are you going to get answers out of terrorist? By giving them some juice and asking nicely? Some say its inhumane to torture them but it was inhumane of them to go around crashing planes and blowing up buildings. We should treat terrorists with as much compassion as they did us.

If we really mean what we say, "that nobody is above the law", then we need to have a special prosecutor investigate the torture issue. But if it is just something nice to say, then we can forget about it and move on.

Mountain Home ID

Only if it investigates the "top dogs" that gave the order for torture, not the people that had to follow the orders...When you are in service, you are required to follow orders, therefore the people that gave the orders are the responsible ones and should be the ones investigated. They should realize that if we torture captives, then if our men and women are captured then they too,can expect to be tortured .

I don't believe in capital punishment, but I also believe that Government should reserve it for the most heinous of crimes. I feel thesame about torture

Of course the alleged torturers should be investigated, isn't that the way to determine whether or not someone has broken the law? Of the nine or so Republicans that have asked the Attorney General to refrain from investigating the torture allegations how many of them has served in harms way, let alone been exposed to torture?

Duh...of course the Republicans don't like the investigation. Cheney and Bush certainly aren't better than Nixon! I totally agree with the Obama administration and I'm sick of hearing from the whining Republicans all the time...and their excuses they're keeping us safe. Bull. Everyone knew all along bin Laden was in Afghanistan and has been since Carter's time. It's more like Bush/Cheney fault that the terrorism hit here because they and others ignored the warning memos in the first place that came out well BEFORE 9-11. Investigate and I don't care who does it!

After the money and time that was spent on the whole Clinton/Lewinsky investigation, I think examining the allegations made on "intelligence gathering" is the least the government can do. The last time I checked, breaking international laws and not punishing them internally was something third world dictators do, not the United States.

How else can innocence or guilt of the Bush/Cheney administration be determined absolutely? We, the people and those accused deserve this opportunity to get to the truth. It is also the government's responsibility to carry out this necessary investigation if we are ever gong to regain trust in America once again. If crimes were in fact committed, then perpetrators must be held legally reponsible for their actions just as you and I would be if guilty of criminal activity.

Thom Richer
Negaunee, MI

Of course it is a good idea! We wouldn't let anyone else get away with these heinous crimes, so why is the CIA any different? If someone doesn't pay for torture, what is the already dissillusioned muslim world going to think?

The terrorist capture an American, truely torture them, cut thier head off and show it on the internet.
We play like we are going to hurt them and people are calling that torture?

Seriously, the real issue is current congressional leaders have a beef with the Bush Administration. let it go and fix the enconomy.

Nobody cares about the captured terroist. Line them up and shoot them.

If any body breaks law, we should hold them accountable. It is good idea to find whether previous govt broke the law or not. It is good idea to investigate and hold those people responsible. Democracy prevails.

Honestly i don't believe the appointment of a special prosecutor is a good idea, this action could undermine the credibility of the CIA around the world, and at the same time see America as a weak nation, they've killed us, we interogated them using any means that we could possibly have, President Obama need to strenghten the CIA not demolish it, we're proud of their work. Even though we do not torture as American.

Jack, If laws were broken, those responsible must be held accountable, otherwise, we need to let hundreds of thousands out of prison who were held accountable for their crimes. Just because we are talking politics does not mean that we can't talk accountability. Just because I may not have a job, doesn't make it OK for me to steal my supper.

Jack:

US courts have ruled that it's not illegal for the police to use duplicity, lies and trickery to get criminals to confess to criminal activity.

Then why are we getting our bloomers in a knot about over using trickery or threats to deal with people that would torture and kill us at the drop of a hat. I think getting the terrorist supected of bombing the USS Cole to think he might be executed, just as he had done to the sailors on the USS Cole to confess to his actions was brilliant. Instead of getting our bloomers in a knot, I'd rather have them (the terriorists) peeing in their pants.

J. Green

When will some Americans realize that certain things, often messy things sometimes need to be employed to gain crucial information? The people who want to end us certainly have no compunction when it comes to killing and maiming innocent civilians.

When we tie the hands of those who can save us we put our whole way of life and liberty on the line.

Yes, most definitely! These people (CIA) knowingly broke the law. Those who advised them, and made personal/legal decisions to do so knowingly broke the law. You do not amend a law to fit a particular situation...you amend the situation and how you go about dealing with it to fit the law. Just like the Nixon pardon, to not prosecute where viable only undermines our Constitution and continues the concept that if you do illegal acts while in the employ of the White House somehow it is okay. Once the Administration is out of office, all is forgiven? Our democracy functions the way our founding fathers intended only if NO ONE is above the law!

I think we should investigate all the toxic chemicals being found in the soil and groundwater in poor minority neighborhoods to determine if any crimes have been committed. It is these people who are sick, disabled, and without health insurance and the death toll just keeps right on growing. Stop wasting tax dollars on politics.

RLS

SIMPLE YES or NO. Are you against torture but for abortion? Now, there's a poser. Baby vs. Saddam.

In Gulf War I, it was the arab police on the border who brutilized civilians running out of Kuwait. We ran away from the scene so as not to be identified with it. It should never be the FIRST choice.

Home of the brave? Land of the free? Why would we be afraid to investigate? That would take bravery! If we don't hold men accountable to the laws then we will never be truly free.

If this isn't investigated there will always be a cloud hanging over the U.S. The country will always be seen as a country of inhumane acts no better than the very terrorists they decry. It would be very difficult for any leader in the U.S. to speak out against another country's inhumane acts when your own country is just as bad, if not worse. The U.S. holds itself up as a country of laws – "the rule of law" – now prove it.
What's that saying – the truth shall set you free. Evil deeds by a small number of evil-doers, should not be allowed to taint and blacken your reputation in the world.

It is a fantastic idea, Jack. Without a proper investigation and, presumably, trials to coincide with any uncovered misconduct, a terrible legal precedent may be set. Failure to explicitly condemn torture via the legal system may result in a precedence based justification for abuses in the future. A thorough, objective investigation is in everyone's interests.

We put common soldiers to death after World War 2, for doing the same thing the United States is doing, or did do, to the enemy. It made no difference if they were ordered to commit torture, they were equally guilty. Why is the present administration refusing to do anything to hold anyone breaking the law accountable? Does anyone in the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches of our government have any investments in any companies, corporations or conglomerates making a proifit off the Iraqi Civil War? Did they take any campaign contributions from any of them? Or is there extortion involved?
To do nothing means it is true that we are no longer the United States of America, but instead are run like a Socialist system for the financial and power benefitting a select few. We should be renamed the United Corporations of America. Enter the Fourth Reich.

Absolutely! Unfortunately, it probably won't do much good. For reasons unknown, about a third of American's have adopted the principles of pure evil - Cheney is one of their primary spokespeople. If an person is not wired to know that torture is wrong under any and all circumstances then little can be done. Cheney and his ilk will fight any effective corrective action and insure that the people responsible for inhuman behavior will never be brought to justice.

Jim, Craig, CO

AG Holder works for the American people, not the President. The last AG to work directly for the President was Al Gonzales, which got us in this mess in the first place. It is the AG's job to investigate illegal actions and partisanship has nothing to do with it. If the Republicans think Cheney had a right to break the law, I guess we know how law biding the Republicans are.

Yes it is a good idea. Let's start at the top though, after all, Cheney gave the orders and the pions did as he said, including Bush. I would love to see how many laws were broken and see Cheney and Bush do the time for them.

Jack, we are a nation of laws. Those laws are promulgated to protect our society. If we allow the CIA or any other overt or covert government organization to brake those laws without consequence, we become a potential anarchy as opposed to the democracy we are supposed to be. We are also a beacon of light to most of the rest of the world and that light dims each time stories like this emerge, yet it is our democratic beleifs that allow them to come out.

The people, yes the President and cetainly the Vice-President should be held accountable along with the CIA operatives who allowed these interogation tactics to be used. I am concerned that our troops who happen to be caught by our enemies will be subject to the same horfficic tactics used by our own government. You know the old saying "what goes around comes around."

Dick Cheney approved and is proud of what he claims saved us from other terrorist attacks, yet not a single one has been proved and most likely won't. Most experts tell us these tactics don't work. Under torture and the threat of these acts a prson will tell you anything to not face these deplorable acts. Cheney and his cronies should be subject to the highest scrutiny for all of whats's in the congresional report.

Jack,

The answer would be best asked to Cheney who now is critical of a special prosecutor being considered! If you want to get to the TRUTH
of the matter and Cheney believes it was a great tactic to get the TRUTH then lets let him "Practice what he preaches" and see if he tells the truth with the same methods he believes in.

ABSOLUTELY! A special prosecutor should be appointed to determine if my public servants have broken any laws, and, if so, what punishment(s) would be appropriate.

If we don't do adequate 'house cleaning' from time to time, it might be possible for criminals who have no respect for human rights and United States laws to act in a manner which does not represent the peoples wishes.

No authority should ever exist without being thoroughly questioned, and this questioning being conducted in a continuous manner.

Jack, it's getting crazy out there. I dont' think the question should be, "Special prosecutor to investigate torture?" it should really be something like "America finally realizing that there are more than 2 legal systems?". What's up with this? If we had the same exact concern about any other country, aside from Isreal, we'd be blasting them with "they need to become more democratic, or that woulndn't be an issue in a democratic society". Cheny, Steele and all the others that really truly believe there's something wrong with finding out if crimes were committed, need to have some of their rights taken from them for a few years. It's easy to pass laws and verdicts on a people when your not forced to live within those same laws. hypocrites, and whats worse is they're hypocrites that don't care that they are.

Jack you said, "The question remains whether the people who authorized all this stuff will ever be held accountable." At the end of the day, there was only one man that pulled all the strings. Not until we drag George Bush's butt into court and hold him accountable will the Untied States be able to say that absolutely no one is above the law.

Ice Cream was a good idea. The automobile was a great idea. Chocolate was a stupendous idea. The idea to investigate wrongdoing during the Bush adminstration barely takes two brain cells to rub together. A special prosecutor to investigate the torture drop in the ocean of wrongdoing that needs to be corrected is a painful beginning. It takes courage, without which we have a government of which no one can be proud.

No, not a good idea. We want to prosecute the guys who stopped a second attack on the mainland? Give me a break. This just confirms what I have always thought, the liberals/democrats are more in line with the ACLU than either our troops or spooks. When are we going to wake up? This will weaken our War against the folks who are trying to kill us.

Yes General E. Holder should appoint a federal prosecutor to investigate the alleagations of torture to make the Republicans responsiable for their actions. Like they say "the buck stops here".

These people involved believe they are above the law (remember Bernie Maddof) and in this country no one should be above breaking U.S. or international laws.

Get that prosecutor moving ASAP. And investigate top down, not bottom up.

Brunswick,MD

We know how investigations have gone in the past, it costs the taxpayers money and no one is prosecuted. The only good that would come out of it would be the fun in watching Dick Cheney and George Bush squirm and make excuses why it is a bad idea to look into what took place. As tempting as that is, I don't think we need to spend the money at this time for a report that will be filed on a shelf and take up space.

Yes, it is a good idea. Cheney keeps flapping his gums–predicting doom and gloom–just like he did while he was Vice-President. I think he is personally worried about how he might be held accountable for the whole torture debacle.

In a perfect world torture is wrong. In this imperfect world we live in torture comes in many forms i.e. ignoring the peoples of this world while they starve and thirst to death. Few care about this type of torture as there is no political gain. I usually lean to the center-left but I am scared this talk of special prosecutors investigating our CIA will only weaken a weakened country even more!!!!!

A special prosecutor should not be appointed to investigate torture. It is time to build up our intelligence organizations and empower them to keep us safe...not tear them down...or weaken them. Terrorists should shake in their boots when facing capture and questioning by the USA. We need a firm approach, not a wimpy one, when it comes to terrorism. We need a strong CIA. They are the experts and know how to get the job done. Did we not learn from 911 that we must do everything in our power to stop this menace?

Its about time! When Bush ran for president in 2000 he ran on a platform to return integrity back to D.C. after 8 years of bush his promise is being fulfilled by the President (Obama). In a ironic twist of History President Obama is bringing integrity back to the United States. As a holistic concept, integrity judges the quality of a system (the US Government) in terms of its ability to achieve its own goals. Those goals were ever present at the founding of our country, indoctrinated in the Bill of Rights, and even ingrained in the Religious Standards of Christianity. Now we must look to the legacy we leave the generations who will inherit this Country and give them the example that they should follow as those before us gave to us.

If the authorities thought individuals overstepped their bounds on interrogation techniques, investigate it QUIETLY. If wrong-doing is found, they can be reassigned or quietly fired. A public investigation is a mistake, just like it was a mistake in 1975 when Frank Church did it. The damage done to the CIA led directly to the lack of forewarning about the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

A Special Prosecutor results in a public spectacle that serves no CONSTRUCTIVE purpose. Nancy Pelosi settled the Bush era prosecutions in 2006 when Democrats got their Congressional majority, and she announced no probes of the Bushies.

Obama's plate is FULL; he cannot afford to look too closely in the rearview mirror. The GOP will eat him alive for it.

The ACLU has a knack for picking the most undeserving people to defend. I guess it is preferrable to fly a predator drone over the terrorists house and kill everyone inside. There is no chance of "torture" and no problem with Gitmo detention or due process concerns.

Thanks ACLU, and Bombs Away!!!

Yes, I think a special prosecutor is a good idea. I have to wonder why the Republicans are not up in arms about this. You'd think that an agent of the government threatening innocent children would be a textbook example of big government threatening individual rights. Maybe they'd be upset if the agents offered the prisoners health insurance instead, because that would be really scary!

The purpose of the Justice Department is to uphold the law. For too many years, it appears that the Justice Department existed to uphold the political power of one administration. The problem is that if the Justice Department decides to investigate, some will consider this the same Justice Department which Alberto Gonzales presided over. Unfortunately, I do not think that there is a choice. An independent investigator must be used to separate partician politics from justice. It is sad that we have no choice. Perhaps if the governmental employees were more concerned about the law and less concerned with keeping their jobs, these methods would have at least been given greater thought. I am deeply disturbed with legal rationales which followed decisions rather that trying to make things work within the system. Nixon believed that he was the law and therefore exempt. We, as a people, cannot allow anyone to scare us into giving them absolute power. Once we give away our freedoms, will any form of Justice or Justice Department ever really exist.

Our country is beset with huge pressing problems, and only the most ideological bent insist on going after past administrations' officials. The Move On playbook and its anti-American agenda have had this divisive strategy in place for some time.

Not only is a new anti-Bush jihad out of place and lacking in vision, but it's another way of trying to take Americans' attention away from the real and immediate issues facing our country. If Obama wants to create untold hate and division in our country, just continue to encourage this outrageous activity.

...And does anybody with half a brain really think that Eric Holder is acting AGAINST the wishes of the president? Really? REALLY?

He's never had an original thought, and, as we know from the past, he's for sale. Obama couldn't do more to create division and hatred within our country. What a disappointment and what a shame.

Someone said to me today, that Whites want to prosecute everyone but themselves. When it comes to breaking the law, everyone that does it need to be held accountable, Plain and Simple Jack.

Yes, a special prosecutor is a good idea if he or she investigates those who ordered the torture and does not attempt to find scapegoats in the rank and file who simply follow orders.

If we can't find OJ Simspon guilty of murder, how the hell are we going to find CIA agents guilty of "almost" committing crimes. I can hardly wait to see Pelosi on the stand!!!

There are certain things that intelligence agencies around the world do in order to keep their people safe and we -the people, do not really need to know. While we in the west are busy opening up an investigation -which would only leave intelligence agents on our side afraid to to go as far as they need to in order to keep us safe, the terrorist are out there plotting how to kill more innocent people.

An investigation is unnecessary at best and ill advised at worst and so is closing Guantanamo.

No it is not a good idea. This is the only area I strongly disagree with president Obama; his willing to protect terrorist or somehow respect their right. Those people do not respect american right to live, all they think about is to kill american. If by anyway, we arrive to arrest one why do we have to respect his right? I know some will argue he is just a suspect what if at the end of the day he is not guilty? What difference that makes when people are put in prison for more than 2o years and later they are found not guilty?

they are not above the law,they knew they were wrong

If we are going to continually stick our nose in other Country's business because they don't govern like we think we should then we should at least be what we say we are. Sometimes you have to go back and right the wrongs of the past to move forward. The democrats and Obama did not order these things but now they are stuck with correcting them. I don't see us having a choice. If we don't, I have great fear for our military serving overseas, or anyone else captured anywhere. We can only expect to get what we have given if we don't address this. Hypocrisy may work for republicans but it isn't a good mantra for the country as a whole.

A resounding YES! I'm tired of the Republicans scaring people with the old "geopardizing security" excuse. First it was the Patriot Act and what it did to privacy, and apparently now they're willing to give up the "Rule of Law". Just how much of our core principles are we expected to give up in the name of security? I'd imagine a dictatorship would be pretty secure. Maybe we should just dump the constitution completely in favor of security.

We are a nation governed by laws. The law applies to all. If the law is not applied to all, there is no justice.

Politics as usual! This is why the "two" party system is no good for the average citizen in this country. I believe that all public officials should be held accountable and if they were prohibited from lobbists we could as a nation get down to the real business of fixing this dreadful economy and bring jobs back to this country!

Jack Yes It is In fact In my own rediclus opinion it is long past due .
But to answer the other part of the question asked will the people that approved the use of torture I doubt it . Like the Banks and wall street some are seen to big to fail or to be held accountable . At least that is what Steel and the rest of the enablers would say. That Includes the present occupant of the oval office .

Jack, it's only a good idea if you want to know the truth. It also puts on display if their are any entities exempt from the law in our country.

Dear Jack: Once again, since it's been so long, the people can't get used to a President who actually KNOWS what his role is and is following it. The Attorney General is supposed to be the one to decide whether laws have been broken or not and whether to hire a special prosecutor.

What we do to others - comes back on us! How can we say we uphold truth and right and adhere to the Geneva Convention – when we clearly did not. We have to make ammends. And to try and wheedle out of it by saying – they're not REALLY the enemy, they are enemy combatantsFormer Vice-President Cheney is merely trying to shuffle the issue over to "keeping us safe" or say if we prosecute the CIA will lose members and morale, when in reality he is just trying to save his own butt. It appears, though not proven, that the "buck" pretty much stopped with him in matters of defense and terrorism.

Jack – I'm old school – whatever needs to be done during the interrogation of terrorists is crucial in order to protect our country and its citizens, to protect our friends and, particularly our family, and to preserve the ideals of democracy on which this country was founded. I believe that is the purpose of the CIA's activities and an investigation of their methods will only undermine our nation's security.

I think it would not Hurt to see what a special person ,a "indifferent" entity seperate and not constrained by politics, will sort this out.I believe it is in all americans intrest to find out what happened,so we can streamline our counter-intelligence and response to a terrorist attack and to see if it any laws were broken for political gain. It happened all the time in our history that we learn something about our past to make us a better nation

No special prosecutor. Internal investigations should made and actions taken, but a special prosecutor always leads to witch hunts, entrapments and policy changes. The policies are fine. Holden's line of thinking is what lead us to the position of being caught by surprise on 9/11. If this investigation goes forward, other countries will not work with us for fear of being outed in our investigations. Likewise, our own people will hesitate in doing their job. Not to mention this opens the door for all future administrations to investigate and punish proior admintrations. Thats how they do it in banana republics. Just think how future republicans will cry treason in some of the current machinations that skirt around the edges of the constitution. Prosecute Bush's adm. now and I promise you there will be prosecutions in future of Obama's. Unless the misdeed is grevious, you adress policy differences by voting them out of office.

What is the point? Spend thousands more of taxpayers funds to find out that a few of them were "waterboarded"! The people that are advocating a Special Prosecuter to investigate torture at Gitmo "just don't get it"!!! Was there a Special Prosecuter named to investigate when thousands of Japenese-Americans were wrongly imprisoned in interment camps in California during WW ll?I bet you history will record that some of them were tortured in some fashion or another! Gee I guess not because a Democrat was in office at the time! I have a great idea! Turn over all the Gitmo detainee's to the Scottish Judicial System, and the Scots can ship all of these terrorists back to their homeland where they will receive a hero's welcome, and that way Obama will make good on his promise to close Gitmo once and for all!

Ed Woodbridge,Va.

No.

Yes, it is necessary. To pretend that what was done in our name can be justified or simply swept under the rug is an insult to what our men and women in uniform stand for. We are different, we do not behave like our enemies do. OR We ARE OUR OWN WORST ENEMIES.

You have to be kidding!
With all the REAL work to be done by this administration this is a sideshow , politically motivated, what a shock,! The king's clothes are falling off..
I remember 9-11. I remember the victims. I do not recall the terrorists apologizing, I do not remember the intellectual pundits joining the fight.
Stop handicapping the real heroes, the individuals who are fighting to protect the way of life that allows after-the-fact critucs, who wouldn't be here at all if it wasn't for the sacrifices of those they condemn.
I wish we would do more , start fighting full-time, not part-time wars, maybe then the critics would actually DO something besides talk.

It is a very good idea. It is also the law. NOBODY is supposed to be above the law. That includes Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, George W. and H.W. Bush, and all of their lackies. The CIA has not only been involved in torture. Running drugs to our country and guns to others has been their expertice for many years. Our justice department has been avoiding the CIA criminal activities for too long. It's time for a change.

For those who wore the uniform and fought for the freedoms we enjoy it would be moraly repugnant not to uphold the our laws of our country at all costs. I think those who are against this inquiry have probably never put on the uniform and picked up the pieces & people of war.

When some Americans are caught with a joint or cocaine in their possession, they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. When some people steal billions from the American public, they are forgiven or given a slap on the wrist. When some people speak their mind about how the ills of this country continue to exist, they are called non-loyal Americans. When some people cause the destruction of a country based on lies that they generated, they are not prosecuted because of their position or their connections.

When is breaking the law equal for all? And, who has to be in control before this question is answered based on equal rights as human beings?

If we are conscious enough to prosecute any law that is within the statute of limitations, why should we turn our head simply because the actions were consciously agreed to due to a traumatic event which suggests that under certain circumstances, the law itself should not be obeyed and retribution is justified? We have to be consistent under the most difficult instances in order to be construed as equal under all scenarios.
The Law is the Law. Break the Law means one must be held accountable under “all” circumstances.

Appointing someone to investigate this issue is a waste of time and money. Remember Whitewater? We need to set the bar to what is correct and move forward.

Bobby Mack

Why dont we appoint a public relations firm to plaster all the secrets of the United States so all the terrorists can save the time of trying to figure out what we might do. This Obama administration is going to get a lot of Americans killed , you just watch. These barbaric animals do not understand the canterbury rules of fluffy , let me kiss u and it will be ok interrogation tactics.. get real !!!

There is no honor in gov't anymore. especially a Republican led one.

I will believe it when I see it. All of these people inter mingle with one another and cut deals with each other and plan and cut up the wealth of America. They all are above the law and they all protect each other, until the fire gets too close, then they will throw a menial character to the dogs. President Obama has proven he is no different Jerry/ Iowa

"Any society that gives up a little liberty for security, deserves none and will lose all" Benjamin Franklin

As a Democrat it disheartening but not surprising to see this admin go down this road. It seems the ACLU and this admin have forgotten the horrors of 9-11.

Just as it seems if they were in charge and such another attack was imminent this admin and the AG would be more concerned with getting the terrorist a lawyer and being nice to them than doing anything to prevent the attack and save lives.

Democrats always seem to forget that the real world is nothing like the fantasy world they wish was reality.

AG Holder is wrong on this and the POTUS clearly picked the wrong person for AG.

Sadly its innocent Americans that may have to pay for their break from reality. Whether Holder realizes it or not the terrorist did not stop trying to attack us when Obama was sworn in.

The only thing I ever agreed with VP Cheney on was how to treat captured terrorist.

Terrorist deserve no niceties from us, they deserve to be treated as the blood thirsty animals they are.

Naming a special prosecutor to investigate torture is not only a good idea, it is absolutely necessary to restore and preserve the country we once had.

By casting away our most cherished and basic American values Dick Cheney, George Bush, and other misguided government officials in eight short years have destroyed our country in a way that would have been impossible for Muslim extremists to do in million. They handed Bin Laden an enormous victory on a silver platter. The must be held accountable for that act of treason.

We need to take our country back and restore its values of freedom, justice, and human rights.

A quote to ponder from the literary work 'Franz von Sickingen' which pertains to Cheney's notion that the end justifies the means: "Show us not the aim without the way. For ends and means on earth are so entangled, that changing one, you change the other too; each different path brings other ends in view." So to answer your question, Jack, yes. The USA does not, or at least should not, stand for torture and all involved should be held accountable. A special prosecutor should investigate.

Most of you seem to think its time "bring them to trail" for your whatever reason you may wish.
I spent 30 years Spec Ops, doing things you don't want to know about nor were I was. I have SEEN what terrorists such as Taliban do to helpless woman, old people and yes children.. If I were to write in detail what these groups have done – you would be throwing up for a day or two, not be able to eat , most likely have serious night mares for more than a week. Ever see 14 girls raped for the fun of it by terrorists and baby thrown against a tree to see how it splatters?
You good hearted souls, oh, someone broke the law so bring them to trail. You sleep well in your bed at night and there has been no more attacks on this country. You don't like my comments go to Afghanistan or Pakaistan for a week, see for yourself!

Yes, Dick Cheney and George Bush distroyed this country in every way possible except taking a nuke to us themselves. They bankrupted us morally, legally, and economicly.They took away our pride and respect as Americans to do what is right and legal. I know everyone wants to blame President Obama for everything now, but he is doing the right thing by letting the Attorney General of the United States make the decisions and do what he thinks is best. The President should never use political influence and pressure against the highest enforcer of the law that America has. That is the way our justice system is supposed to work, and did work before the Bush administration politicized the justice department.

What is up with people in florida? The "chad", dont taze me bro, Jed Bush, and now it's okay to torture with no recourse? Wow!!!

No way will the ones who are responsible for all the war crimes, including torture, ever be prosecuted. I'm not impressed that they're talking about going after the interrogators, but not the order-givers. You reference chainy, who is looking out for his treasonous hide, and is still undermining the duly elected president of the US. He should be on trial right now for war crimes, along with bushboy and all the rest of their gang. Since they never will be, I don't really care if they manage to prove some flunkies did something awful. They were encouraged to do it from the top. We should have impeached bush when he was still in office and chainy too. Thank Nancy Pelosi for taking impeachment "off the table", which let chainybush do anything they wanted for the rest of their stolen term.

Yes, yes, yes. During the Abu Ghraib fallout, only the foot soldiers took the fall. This time we must find out where these high crimes came from, although the answer seems quite evident.

Dick Cheney is guilty as sin, and should not get a pass on this.

Absolutely Jack. It will make a great mockery of the rule of law not to investigate and prosecute those who broke the law. The Napoleons of the Bush Administration should be made to understand that NO Animal is more equal than the other.

To all who think that torture of terrorists is immoral and that the parties responsible for torture of terrorists deserve to be investigated and potentially prosecuted, I pose this question.

What if these tactics were not used and another attack had happen, and lets say for arguments sake that someone you loved had died?

I confidently believe that you would have wished for torture to be administered on terrorists in order prevent the deaths of your loved ones. Torture of terrorists isn't immoral, because Terrorists, by insane beliefs and evil actions, give up their right to be subject to the laws of morality. The American people are on a need to know basis and frankly I don't believe that we need to know what is done to keep Americans safe.

God bless the bliss of ignorance, God bless those who work to protect us from evil and God bless America!

Dave from CA by way of ND.

As you can see from many of the comments here, liberals are simply filled with anger and out for blood. I bet they would want the CIA to use enhanced techniques if one of THEIR loved ones might be saved.
Democrats are more worried about the rights of terrorists than they are the American citizen and the US Constitution.

A resounding YES! I’m tired of the Republicans scaring people with the old “geopardizing security” excuse. First it was the Patriot Act and what it did to privacy, and apparently now they’re willing to give up the “Rule of Law”. Just how much of our core principles are we expected to give up in the name of security? I’d imagine a dictatorship would be pretty secure. Maybe we should just dump the constitution completely in favor of security.

NOTE: Duplicate post since I originally posted with an old email address which defaulted in and wanted to get that corrected.

From Toumi M.

Yes, Jack, it is a good idea. If you want proof, look at the Republicans. Every time those creasy people are afraid of something, the country makes a big step forward. Therefore, let them be afraid.

Jack, it makes absolutely no difference one way or another. Couples wearing anti-Bush tee-shirts can be arrested on American streets at public events, but we're going to reverse the Nuremberg principle that excuses crimes against humanity with the excuse "I was just following orders"? The possible commission of crimes is blithely dismissed as political prosecution? Those who want to know what has been done in our collective name are told thath we ought not to dwell on the past, but just which future crimes do we prosecute in the present? On this, as with so many matters, Obama offers no hope that I can believe in.... Zal, South El Monte

Appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the CIA in their fight against terrorism is a great idea, if you want to embolden your enemies (or should I say "human caused disaster professionals), reassuring them to the fact that America will not harm them once they are captured.

You need to frighten your enemy – America no longer has the will or the stomach to do this.

America has lost the fighting spirit that forged this nation and made it a ferocious and victorious foe in two world wars.

Yes, why should Bush/Cheney and gang be allowed to break the law, everyone should obey the rule of law!!!!!

Of course there should be a special prosecutor. The job of the Justice Department is to uphold the law; if a law has been broken, someone must be held accountable. Although Dick Cheney would like to make people believe the opposite, it would be playing politics NOT to investigate whether there were illegal activities. Eric Holder for President in 2016!

Since when do we think that there is a justification to break the law? That's what a law is - something that Congress, the legislative branch, has determined that there is no justification for doing. If Darth Cheney felt that torture was necessary, then he should have made the case to Congress to change the law to allow for it. One can understand exigent circumstances in the few weeks after September 11, but beyond that, the administration, the CIA, the contractors, the Justice Department, along with the rest of us, are bound by our country's laws. When we break them we should be held accountable. Period.

Jack,
It is all about accountability isn't it? Or at least it should be. It should not matter who made the decisions to torture. Those people think they are above the law just like Tricky Dick did during his 1 1/2 terms. Only this is probably much worse. At least in Watergate, no one got killed. Bush and Cheney, especially Cheney and the rest of the goons who never saw military service need some real jail time...I'm sure Sherrif Joe would love to put them in pink underwear and feed them green bologna sandwiches in his tent city.

It is a good idea, within reason. Doing so proves a desire to ensure that those responsible for torture are brought to justice, but at the same time, there could be unforseen consequences. The special prosecutor should first present his/her findings to a bipartisan Congressional panel, whether a previously existing one, or a special one specifically designed for this. The panel would then make determinations as though it were a grand jury, determining whether there is enough proof to bring those responsible to trial, and determining whether to do so privately or publicly, depending on the potential danger to Americans.

NO, Why don't we get a special prosecutor to look into ACORN.

Jack;

When Al Queda appoints a special prosecutor to investigate all of it's atrocities in Irag, Afghanistan, the United States, Kenya, Bali, etc., then we should investigate the tactics of our CIA.

Dale in Suffolk County

I don't think that someone should be given a substantial amount of power without some kind of accountability. I don't think we elect a presidential administration to have a blank check to do what ever they want. I feel that the people making the big decisions on top should follow Rule of Law, and be held responsible if those laws are broken. How can America be safe if we cannot even follow our own rules. I feel that a special investigation into Bush and Cheney should be conducted, torture is illegal according to our laws, as well as international treaties. We don't let other alleged war criminals escape investigation or trial (for example Saddam Hussein). Nobody is above the law, and IF these things happened then I think that it's in our National Security's best interest to be strong and prosecute criminals. Maybe Dick Cheney saved lives, by authorizing torture (supposedly), but at the cost of our credibility as a country? Are we really safer because we torture? The last thing we need is another skeleton in our closet.

Maybe they can find a Lindy England in the CIA

This administration from the top on down is a joke. I have no issues with torture no matter how extreme if it means there's the slightest chance it would save my family, friends, and country.

Would any one question if a special prosecutor should be appointed if these crimes had been committed by some business group or if these crimes had been committed by a religious group? There is absolutely no moral reason not to prosecute these individuals. Crime is crime regardless of who commits it or whom it is committed against. The claims of war making any sort of behavior acceptable could also have been used to exonerate those responsible for the Batan Death March.
Christine, Unicoi, TN

A crime is a crime. Do you choose to ignore the crime just because it happened under the previous administration? What kind of message does that send for a "nation of laws"?

Terrorists neither abide by nor accept the Geneva Convention. We have no agreements with them. This isn't some poor conscript in the Nigerian army we are talking about.

i think this bush/cheny outfit needs to be investigated to the fullest extent and held personally accountable to the american People all those in congress who helped them commit these crimes should be equally punished while i am at it i wish Cheny Palin and McCaine would all slither under the rocks from whidch they came

If people broke the law, then they need to be brought to justice. Based on my understanding, these are new potential crimes were just brought to light and require investigation. These are not issues that were originally investigated under the Bush administration. If these were already investigated and were cleared, then I think the AG needs to move on.

Lets see Jack.....hmmm

murderers commiting acts of war against the us, and we use force to question them to protect Citizens from further dammage and deaths, and thus we are wrong?.....Right?

Now add to that they have rights to free defense, paid for by US citizens while hand appointed Lawyers get rich!

Now, and to this that our Legislators give billions to Banks who sold bogus paper as stocks and illegal Traders got rich on this also, and American Citizens get to pay for it while they all go free. And some get Big Cash Bonus's.

Yep....thats America to me!
This is a bogus matter and should never even be considerd what so ever.

This Goverment is becoming a joke

Jon in Tennessee

I have been waiting for someone to investigate The Bush Administration and finally just maybe it will reveal how The Bush Administration did what they wanted-illegal or not.But more than likely Jack it'll be a sham investigation,because that's how our Government works!

Cheyney, Rumsfeld, Bush and others should be held accountable for their actions. They didn't blink an eye when it came to prosecuting the Abu Ghraib guards and threw them right under the bus. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Torture what are they talking about.My God jack no one tortured us more than those that were caught.I can still remember two soldiers that were burned and there bodies hung up for all to see.Or there heads cut off and showing it on the internet.What they got, there still alive to complain about it.If it saves American lives you need to do what's necessary.I don't think the ones tortured are just going to think ok you were right i was wrong let's be friends.Bottom line is they want us dead we just got to stop it before it happens any way we can.

As I watch the reporting of this story, I cannot help but picture the terrorists watching the same reports as we are watching, with big fat smiles on their faces. Bush/Cheney were the biggest terrorist recruiters for the Taliban. Now we are humiliated because of the 1% in the CIA who acted no better than our enemies. Yes, probe and probe until we bring them to justice because if we don't, we will have to bury our national pride and character in that silence. We will never be able to say "We are the good guys" again.

To investigate or not to investigate,I really don't care. After what happened in 9/11, terrorists deserves more than torture.

Jack,
People who think that things like this are simply black and white issues live in a fantasy world. The world is a cruel place and it's not colored in black and white, but shades of gray. Things such as waterboarding, racking a gun, sleep deprivation are all perfectly legal under the Geneva Conventions. Waterboarding is even used to train our own military personnel. Those who will take nothing but 100% perfection don't understand how the real world of intelligence gathering works. The scum of human existence, those who blow up children and cut heads off of people, do not operate in these houses of glass that apparently the rest of your viewers do.

Semper Fi,

Mikey J. (Alexandria, VA)

No. These terrorist are trying to kill us! I don't see anything wrong with some of CIA's tactics. I personaly feel some things should be kept top secret. This makes us look weak. We need to move foward and let the CIA do their job of protecting American lives from more attacks.

Why Not? Please explain!

Yes,remove it as far as possible from the Obama administration. Gene

The Democrats have more pressing issues to worry about other than this. In my opinion, this is a vendetta by the Democrat party to get the Republicans. Personally, I think the interrogators should have done more. The issues of torture brought up are petty to me. They did not cause any pain or suffering on the muslims terrorists. On the other hand, the muslims can use any tactic of interrogation they want to include beheading and there is nothing Eric Holder can do about that.

Jack, enough is enough, simply put... You can't use laws, respect and decency to deal with people who don't respect laws and have no decency. I remember going to the principals office in high school and he would say" i don't care if you didn't do it...Where there is smoke there is fire."

Jack,

No, it's not a good idea. In fact, it will probably make us less safe. In addition, the continuation by this administration to bring the so-called "torture" debate to the forefront of American politics, for the sole purpose of changing the headlines from the failed attempt at healthcare reform, is shameful.

Arcy,
New York, N.Y.

This is the way to do it. I doubt AG Holder asked the White House for an opinion on this. (Let's hope.)

Whether any criminal prosecutions result may be less important than opening the shades and letting some light in... again.

Yes.The civilized world expects it.It is the right thing to do.

"A Nation of Laws!!!" Gimme a break. I'd like to think that most of the detainees haven't done anything to influence terrorism, and no one's been charged with a crime. This is the equivalent of Japanese-American internment doing WWII. Republican paranoia invaded Iraq, tortured Iraqi's and other Arabs and Muslims, even snatched then from their homes, even killed some of them; all of this in the name of America, Freedom and Democracy, and National Security. But the punchline to the joke is that these religious nut-cases are actually arrogant enough to believe that no one would've asked questions, or think GOD wasn't watching.

waste of money and the past is the paste unless we go after the ones at the top that allowed the crimes go on.

I could not be more proud of Attorney General Holder. Victory in this "War on Terror" is not going to be acheived on the battlefield. The outcomes of this struggle will be determined on whether or not our country maintains the democratic ideals that have been the foundation of this nation since its creation or succumbs to fear to establish a false sense of security. "Enhanced Interrogation" and the extremely anti-patriotic "Patriot Act" are the results of fear that tore the foundation of what once made us the greatest nation in the world. Holder's move to investigate actions taken during the previous administration are necessary to repair what has been broken. An example needs to be made of our past officials so that future administrations will second guess any such damaging action. Thank you Attorney General Holder. Finally, some change I can believe in has arrived.

Jack I feel they've been torturing its just getting to the forefront.Not only do they torture the terror suspects they are torturing us on our own soil.

I believe that it is a good idea because you never know what terrorist have up their sleeves. They should use all of those tactics such as the guns,power pills, and the safty of their family members. Im sure that the terrorist would do the same to someone else too. It really doesnt matter what we do to terrorist and other bad people as long as we keep America safe. I truly believe that the guilty should be punished for whatever wrong they have done. All people should be prosecuted for the laws they have broken!!