The opinions and cries to stop the investigation before we actually know anything are already singing like a chorus. The presumed effect are being postulated that this will only destroy America and distract it from the real life issues in front of us----namely not going broke, getting green, saving the planet and saving us from the threats emulating from Gunga Din.

Yet for those of you who are close to or over 50 years old the cries to forgive and forget as eerily similar to those that cried out attempting to stem the tide of Watergate. Those Nixon officials were being prosecuted for political advice, for policy, or supporting the president et cetera. Then we learned after a grueling Sam Erwin that indeed it was all about politics----usurping all the presidents men and all the laws for the sake of power. If I recall we looked for the smoking gun where the president went over the line and attempted to cover up a covert political action group willing to use any means possible to expand and hold political power absence to the rule of law. In fact they sought to manipulate the law.

But that was all domestic law. Now we have both domestic and international law. Finishing Phillipe Sands book "Torture Team" and now overlaying his discoveries with the recent press clippings of timetables and released memos the picture is becoming clear. Torture was in, torture was not only sanctioned but demanded. Torture became policy but to make it "legal" it had to be defined. And yet now we learn that even before the OLC created their contorted and contested interpretations to suit the desired policy torture and rendition was already in full swing.

Few are actually why? The obvious is that we wanted, no demanded information about being hit in a second wave from the fear and paranoia of our leaders. Remember the run on plastic and duck tape? Remember how we had to have a month's supply of food, water and medicince?  I do. But torture is not nor has it ever been about getting honest information from its subjects, it is about getting a forced confession---propaganda.

Why would we want propaganda in late 2001 or through 2002? Oh let me recall that in the summer of 2002 suddenly our leaders sights were not on Gunga Din anymore but in the Fertile Crescent----Iraq. Could it be that they wanted forced confessions to justify the idea that Iraq was actually the state that perpetrated 9/11?  Of course for Michael Ledeen personally told me that even if there was no upcoming mushroom cloud over the skyline of NYC that Saddam was an attractive target in a sea of targets. Yes...torture...forced confessions...propaganda....political aims....political power a direct line?

Let me take the direct line backwards....Rove, Cheney, Rumsfeld all part of the Nixionan Age....political power, unitary power....absolute power. Their trouble now is that we cannot pardon crimes against humanity. International Law is slow, unweilding and eventually forces the rogue country to come to terms and give up their criminals. Either we do it or they do it. Oh sure we are the only nation with extradiction on these crimes....FOR NOW....but being rogue is like an island, very lonely.

So now we are learning about timelines, justifications and lawlessnes. When we eventually learn about the real motives this will be over.....except for the few defenders.