http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/KD24Ak01.html

America’s reputation in the world is lower than a snake’s ass. The world sees us and Israel as being lawless thugs (and with good reason).

I am in complete agreement with you, Alex. Eventually, something will be released which will so offend and endanger the public that action will be demanded. If the US ever gets a chance to see and interact and try to care for and defend themselves from what is left of the military force we sent to Afghanistan and Iraq they will demand action.
That is why the most important objective for the US military is to prevent any interval of relative peace which could afford an accounting for the last eight years.
Obama has decided, I fear, to become their chump.

I do wonder why this administration is lining up with many Bush policies. Is it because they agree with them, because they feel there are more important political fish to fry, or is it because they are afraid of retribution from the intelligence community if they cross them?
Personally I think too many Clinton era people were brought into this administration and they can’t help themselves but repeat mistakes as well as cover up mistakes made by any or all (because they can be tied back to when Clinton was in power). Moving on and not dealing with a known problem is a similar to the slavery issue of the 1800s. Eventually an administration will do something so horrible that we will have to rebel. We need to clean house now, or it will just get uglier later.

Obama really is a bad liar if he thinks that nobody will ultimately care that he has given aid and comfort to enemies of not only decency, but such principles that the United States was allegedly founded upon.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness now ought to be replaced by; “watch your back, WE ARE, and if we decide you’re an enemy of the STATE, we reserve the right to torture you or kill you and your murderers and torturers will walk, scot free.

very sad day in the world when a so-called world leader will whitewash CIA torture of detainees it had an obligation to treat humanely.

very sad day.

This inhumanity, arrogance and mockery of justice by a government of the United States will soon dull the shine of Obama’s current rock star personna with this latest example of legal gymnastics. And, as is all too obvious, Obama’s campaign promises (“Change we can believe in”, “transparency in government” and “no one is above the law”) as with most government accountability, have been relegated to the proverbial s***t-hole of history. Bruce G. Richardson

Scott Horton, as much as I think he's great, is naive about Obama and the rule of law. In so many ways, Obama is the third W term.

As for Obama's "sincerty" on not torturing, I think that's about as reliable as his word has been on all other subjects to date, i.e., believe the opposite of what he says.

The U.S. has always tortured. Read Overthrow for an early example in the U.S. counterinsurgency in Philippines. The CIA's record is in Legacy of Ashes: war, proxy war, imagined war, any excuse is good enough.

I got a good laugh out of KSM's alleged confessions. Apparently Cheney believed them all.

Of course, that one doubts that any “elected” criminals, past and present, will ever actually meet justice would be an understatement; these caretakers for the wealthy have had over two centuries to perfect their games around bothersome legalities.