I don't see how threatening to kill an innocent person (the child of an accused terrorist) or threatening to rape an innocent family member (the mother of an accused terrorist) in order to extract information can be tolerated by any decent human being.

Cheney seems to think this is ok.

These are the tactics Hitler used. If individuals with integrity had stood up to him, millions of innocent Jews would not have been martyred.

In America, you are innocent until proven guilty by trial of law. Merely believing someone is a terrorist is not grounds for torturing them. And it certainly is not grounds for threatening innocent family members.

Yes as the persons are not soldiers, but terrorists and should not be bound by the Geneva Convention. Some say this is cruel, but what would we call the 9-11 attacks. Do we now forget that and let by gones be by gones Nope these people tortured us on our own soil and are not bound by the Geneva Convention. THEY ARE TERRORISTS. We are most likely safer now because of it.

Oh like we do not have anything better to deal with in this country! Why am I not surprised? Oh yes....let's look into these interrogation tactics of the previous administration! Our ratings are dropping. People are turning against HB3200 (Health Care Reform) in great numbers. By all means let us divert the attention away from all of this and pour some more tax payer dollars into another frivolous independent investigation. Bush was NO president! FACT! .... and Neither is the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Where is the CHANGE? This is nothing but MORE OF THE SAME! Face it American...We have not had a president since Bill Clinton...the one who proclaimed, "The era of big government is over!" Oh now I get it...CHANGE has come to Washington!!! Big government is BACK!!! It began with Bush...and continues with Obama! I will never again identify myself as a democrat. I won't go republican either, but this Independent is jumping from the Obama Titanic!!!

Any American that believes torture is justified to obtain information from an enemy combatant, a prisoner, a terrorist or any other person who is an enemy of our country needs to be sent to a war zone, become a prisoner, and be tortured to get a grip on just why our values prevent such tactics!

If you please why don't you report from Mississippi, N.O. has been covered enough. Today I drove from Biloxi West to Bay St. Louis, so many slabs I couldn't keep track. No land marks visible. Do you ever come to Mississippi?

I fail to see how making threats (which were never carried out) constitutes torture. Prosecutors threaten perps all the time to get confessions or other info. These terrorists didn't use words, they killed 3000 of us. The techniques described cause discomfort, perhaps even panic, but no physical harm. I'm sure John McCain and other former POWs can tell us what real torture is. If it saved us from even one attack, or saved one American life it was worth it. This is war and it's either us or them. Get with it people, you don't win a war following the Marquis of Queensbury's rules.

can someone get a physic to help oakland police dept find little Hassani Cambell 5 year old with cerebral palsey went missing august 10th 2009 in rockridge area. there is not enough publicity on this young child who is disabled we need MORE MORE AND MORE ON THIS STORY!!!!!

Why is no one quoting Benjamin Franklin in response to Dick Cheney:

"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."
Benjamin Franklin

Looking forward to the show tonight. I naively thought after Obama was sworn in as President that it was the last of Cheney we would hear until one day when his obituary appeared. Unfortunately, he doesn't plan on going out quietly. I guess he misses the days when he could pull the strings and make his President dance. As far as torture goes we have not even scrapped the top of the barrel if you compare what was done under Cheney and Bush to Hitler – Hitler had people hung by piano wire – would let it get so far and then pull them down and let them get their breath and do it over again until they finally died. This wasn't for information either all the time – sometimes it was just revenge. Or what about the Jews in Russia and Poland who they made dig their own graves and then line up in front of them while the soldiers machine gunned them to death. If you really want some harrowing torture read some of the stuff Mengele did. Yes, our values are different and on the whole distance us from behavior such as that. However, when you are fighting terrorism; you don't know who your enemy is concretely or where they are or when they will attack again and kill thousands more, sometimes you take the low road to protect your people. Desperate times sometimes require desperate measures.....lets hope we don't get in that situation again.

Cheney should be in prison. But having said that didn`t Obama just ok special interrorgations unit in the FBI, what does that mean, its ok for Obama and not Bush? If we just got serious and put alternative sources of energy in place of oil, we wouldn`t have to worry about terrorists! Get our noses out of the middle east.

I think it's an inopportune time for this issue to be hashed out....this is truely political ploy....people are just being distracted from the Health Care issue and that will have a much greater impact on their lives and next generation in the long run. I I say let this go....at least now.....we know there was a mess up...hashing it over and over won't change the details....it'll only detract from Americans standing up to protect their real Liberty's.

As you, Rodd, I too have become and Independent, and feel that is a step in the direction of loosening the power grip the two parties have on the American people and our Constitutional (not global) rights. We better wake up, before we have a government that is very reminicent of the one Hitler tried to bring about. I find it so ironic, people from both parties identifying our current and former President with Hitler, and yet both have displayed a rouge attitude toward our Constitution. I am seeing from people that it is more important to be party-loyal than Constitution-loyal – your party is not going to protect your inalienable rights. If we don't start re-evaluating our positions, the corruption we are seeing is just the beginning.

I can't forget watching the film clips of people jumping off the Twin Towers. I think we need to take that attitude our leaders took at the end of WW2. We are dealing with fanatics that have one wish, destroy our country. KILL THEM FIRST!

At least Dubya has kept the code of "honor" by not speaking about the next administrations policies for at least one year like his predecessor Al Gore..............but nooooooo not former V.P. Cheney!

In a perfect world Scooter Libby would be sharing the same cell as Kalid Sheik Mohammed!!

Enough of the shameless self-promotions just to sell your book!!

If a child pornographer, part of a network, was caught, would it be okay to torture to him reveal to reveal the others?
Cheney/Palin 2012!!!

I stopped watching CNN a few weeks ago when it became the Michael Jackson Channel. Now I watch BBC America. Please tell your head honchos who turned (no pun intended) CNN into the entertainment channel: they were wrong.

Cheney should be brought to a grand jury for ALL the crimes he has been charged with and go through court just like the rest of us! We put our trust in gov., and should prosecute any one in such a role like the VP. I got one word for DICK... PRISON!!!

Is there any evidence that these tactics prevented terrorist attacks? Any evidence whatsoever that they led to intelligence we could not have gotten in any other way?

I know of one thing that could have helped prevent a terrorist attack – a memo that read: "BIN LADEN DETERMINED TO STRIKE WITHIN THE US."

Shame no one bothered to read that.

Cheyney is just covering for his poor judgement in the past. How do we know what is true and what is not. I don't believe or trust Cheyney!!!

seems like a diversion of obama administration to get everyones mind off the obamacare debate.

Why do we have FORMER Vice- President Cheney popping up from time to time as he did when FORMER President Bush was in trouble. Is the republican party lacking that badly in leaders, or are we now seeing who really ran this country for 8 years, OR has he just ran out of friends to go hunting with?

it's amazing how cheney comes out in the national media talking smack about obama. i am a conservative, and i feel that it's time for cheney not to use his influence anymore so that america can heal from illegal actions he took under bush.

It's as simple as this: We have lost the moral high-ground. The shining light on the hill has been extinguished.

If we do not renounce torture, and bring to justice those who tortured in our name, then we will descend further.

Obama has made a good start in places. AG Holder needs to be free to prosecute those who against the law of this country, and international law, authorized and carried out torture.

"Only obeying orders" is no defense.

No question about it!!!!

Thankyou for making the CIA weaker and making our job easier to blow up New York
Al Basher

Everyone is missing the point on the "inhanced interogation". The red cross is the recognized authority on determining a method to be torture. They determined it was. It does not matter if we got information that way. If we tortured we broke international and U. S. law. It was wrong regardless of the outcome.

I hope CNN doesn't pay past Bush Administration Officials a whole lot of money as CNN contributors. If you do, you are certainly getting cheated . We listened to that hyperbole for eight years, the story remains the same and you CNN, are the enablers who give them a platform from which to speak...

Paul Begala's not as funny as he thinks he is... Bleh!

The reason for not torturing is to provide the enemy with the incentive to surrender, getting information, and protect with human rights and reducing suffering.

If that incentive to prevent war or convert an enemy, is gone, then there will nothing to do but fight until the death, until the enemy is completely anhiliated (no mercy). Unfortunately, martyrism in the middle east promotes a spirit of non-surrender. Mercy and compassion do not appear to be reducing efforts of violence in the middle east despite the best intentions (education, rationalization, negotiations).

Therefore, a higher threshold is required to extract information. Unfortunately, Cheney is correct. Times have changed in terms of techniques required because of a higher threshhold of tolerable pain and martyrism.

Saying sorry does not work in the middle east. They don't seem to care, not forgive. They are interested in destroying (Hamas).

No need for truth and reconcelation or any form of dialog. The president had made it clear what the republican party and dick Cheney did for 8 years. Now the bigger issue is health care reform... Iraq aka the false war cost us 900billion so far.... if only there were one true patriot poltician back in 2003.

With all the issues that are going on in the US and the world we are going to spend money on pointing fingers at someone else other than moving this country ahead for the people of this country. Isnt that why they wanted to be elected to move this country forward?

if you polled i believe most americans dont care what methods where used to get info as long as it worked legal or not .

Does everyone keep forgetting that we WERE attacked during the Bush/Cheney administration? There are several thousand people who weren't kept safe. Whatever either of them say is irrelevant now

While we were possibly telling these terrorists lies, making them stand or sit to long etc., they were cutting off the heads of American soldiers and dragging their bodies throught the streets on the other side of the world. I think there are more pressing problems the gov't could spend their time on without wasteing more of our tax dollars on something that MAY have happened years ago. Lets move on. Next thing you know they will be blaming WW11 on GW also.

I think this issue needs to be dropped. Terrorists dont care who they kill and have we forgotten what happened on 9/11. I believe the information obtained helped save alot of american lives here in the US, Iraq and Afghanistan. The people invovled in the interrogation of these criminals should hailed as heroes. Instead the bleeding heart liberals want to prosecute them. I am proud to be an american soldier and of what the CIA has accomplished to keep this great nation safe from terrorist attacks.

Any act or method should not be judged by its result. We know many dictators had survived years by torturing. It seems it works for now but Justice has its own way out.

I decided to limit my boycott off CNN and keep it just on Lou Dobbs because I miss Andersons broadcasts...that was more like it tonight...asking pointed questions of both Begalla and Mary Poppins. Its funny how such an intelligent woman can just ignore the reality of whats happened with the whole situation and instead just stick with the party line. Of course she did work for Cheney and anybody that has any sense wouldnt turn on him for fear of him ruining their reputation. I hope Obama goes forward with the investigation, outside of the scope thats been given to us, and follows the trail right up to the VP and give the man what he deserves. At one point, right after 9/11 I bought in to Cheneys rhetoric, but looking at the facts and all thats been revealed about he and the admin stepping over the bounds of law I really hope the right thing is done...a complete investigation of it all. Just like Watergate, and let the chips fall where they may. If not, we can just expect more of the same the next time the Republicans take office.

Its so funny how Cheney chooses to accuse president Obama of playing politics with torture,when he is doing exactly that ,and trying to score political points. Torture is wrong,period;and so was 9-11. But America is greater than this,and for the fact that a few insane people choose to perform acts of terrorism does not mean that America's morals have to be dumped,and we shall follow down the path to the dungeons of insanity. America please wakeup, cheney had 8 years to make a difference, and they flunked it badly,is this someone you would wanna listen to?,if i didn't know,and believe better, i'd say that these republicans are doing everything to make sure that Obama fails in all fronts,and endeavours,mmhh ,or maybe they actually are. Thank God president Obama is smarter than the whole caboodle.

If the United States, signed an International Treaties that banned torture then American citizens should not be prohibited from prosecution if they participated in the crime.

If we don't hold Cheney responsible for things he's authorized and implemented than we set precedent for future administration that might be as extreme or worse than the bush administration. What he's had done goes against everything this country is supposed to be about. In WWII Japanese soldiers surrendered to the U.S. because they knew they would be treated more humane then their own country. Can people in conflict with us now honestly feel that same way now? Cheney's actions have put our troops and our country in danger by fueling recruitment for our enemy and giving them no alternative other than fighting to the end!

I don't know what people expect. They scared the guy with a drill but didn't use the drill. They threatened to kill a guys kids but didn't kill the kids. It's like a cop yelling Stop...or.....I will yell stop again!

This is very simple. I would ask all the members of the former Bush administration to think about the question of torture like this. If, for example, Canada was a world power and threats by US terrorists was a concern...would Canada have the right or, any other country for that matter have the right, to torture US terrrorist detainees to gain "valuable information?" The answer would be "no" and the reason is found in the Geneva convention. This all stems from the so called Bush doctrine of preventative war. Torture is torture, no matter how you spell it out. Why should these enemy combatants be treated any differently? Why aren't those people who are for torture mentioning the people who were tortured and found out not even be linked to the Al quaeda terrorist organization? Torture was done just for punishment and not even to extract information. The idea that torture will extract valuable information for a ticking time bomb situation is ludicrous. Anyone in law enforcement knows that people will lie and say anything to try to get out of being tortured. Conventional methods would suffice. People have testified to this. Anyone in the world, besides the US, who was/is involved in torture would be on trial for war crimes at the Hague.

In my opinion, I hope this investigation goes all the way to the top. Those people at the highest level of government should be investigated and, if found guilty, be thrown in jal for a long, long time. And if not, I think all the countries should come together and make sure that if any of the former Bush administration officials enter their country they should be arrested on the spot and put on trial.

Furthermore, if the Obama adminstration is using rendition they should be investigated. Everyone knows that if these people are being sent elsewhere, they are certainly being tortured.

When it comes to American lives being saved and terrorists being thwarted in their plans, Cheney , and any American, is right in using tough interrogation. The end justifies the mean.

Obviously most of our population live in that sheltered world where 99% of you owe your security and lifestyle to the one % of us who protect our country. You don't understand what it's like to deal with people on a daily basis who would just as soon cut your head off as look at you. They don't "negotiate" or "reason" with you. Tell Nancy Pelosi and the rest of her whining liberal buddies that theres a place in the sunni triangle that I am sure that they would be able to negotiate a peace deal or maybe even a troop withdrawal plan before they lose there head. Torture? Until you've been on patrol and you realize that your only choice if something should happen is to not be taken alive so you don't become a tool used by insurgents against your family and your country. Your enemy has no mercy, why should you?

Just shows how much of a disturbed human being we had RUNNING the country. You don't get the knickname of Darth Vader for nothin!!!

CNN loves to bring back Cheney it is really annoying. CNN was alsways an open space for the Bush Administration. The way they cover the subjects trying to show a balance reporting is flately fake. They don't chllenge anybody at GOP with the reality. They als a bunch of softball questions. In other words CNN has become a source of manipulation and missinformation of facts for a long time

Give me a break. These are terrorists. Obama's gotta get a clue and a bit of reality. The terrorists are not rational people, they want to kill us, not be our friends. They aren't going to just tell you information if you ask them nicely.
At least Bush had a backbone. He sent a clear message to the terrorists – Don't mess with America! and then backed it up with action.
Clinton did nothing, after the first time the world trade center got bombed, he did nothing when the USS Cole got hit. That's why they were braizen enough to come on our soil and do what they did on 911.
Obama is another whimpy, egotistic president whose policies and words are weakening our country.

Cheney, Bush and Rice failed to keep America safe before and after 9/11. Before, their lack of concern about inteligence directly contribured to 9/11 and over 3,000 Americen dead. After 9/11, their imoral and unconstitutional invasion of Iraq caused even more American dead. That's not to mention probably more Iraqi dead in 6 years than Sadam killed in his many years of terror. Their 8 years created more enemies of the United States than our forces killed during the same 8 years.

Anderson quit whining so much. Watch tonight's tape, you sound like nails coming down a chalkboard. I had to lower the volume because you got so annoying. I'm a huge fan, but let's wreel it in a bit. It's starting to sound like a male version of Nancy Grace for God's sake.

That is the first time I have seen AC call someone on a lie. I just wish he would digg more when people lie and expose the truth.

Let's spend our time discussing healthcare issues. Many comments were made including Pres Obabma's great uncle's that we need better communication of what the health care bill will and will not do. You've been doing a good job "keeping them honest" about what is really in the bill and what is not. Would like to see more of that. It's disheartening to see so many people at the town halls getting upset over things like death panel that aren't even in the bill,

It is my understanding that the Geneva accords that define torture and their prosecution state clearly that getting results from such activities is not a defense. Mr. Cheney's argument that the efforts resulted in successful information are evidence that he should be prosecuted as a war criminal and nothing more.

It's so obvious that the Bush administration streched and in some cases broke the rules of interogation. My goodness, if Clinton can be impeached for lying about an affair, certainly Bush and Cheney should be investigated and possibly charged with misleading the American public and using tactics used in some cases by the terrorists themselves.

i think Chaney needs to shut up and realize that hes not vp anymore. Hes trying to cover up the fact that he did these things and they were not as effective as he says. And no matter how effective they were they r torture. its easy for people to say that u can torture criminals but almost everyone in america dont know what it is like. it makes us americans no better than those terrorists.

Why won't someone ask Cheney or his supporters the question that hasn't been asked: if the alleged torture of these suspects and Al Qaeda members did indeed reveal information that prevented future terrorist attacks, does Cheney believe use of such torture should be expanded and employed on American citizens when they are suspected of heinous crimes? Why not? Where does torture stop? Or should we just torture foreigners we don't like? How does this end justify such means? Cheney, stop stomping on our Constitution.

I'm not a Cheney fan but seriously..would we have questioned all this on 9/12/2001?? I doubt it!

Most if not all Republicans have always been willing to look the other way when any allegation of criminal wrong doing by the Bush Administration has surfaced.

It is time for us to finally learn the truth about the Torture Program and if it is found that Bush or Cheney violated US Law or the Constitution of the United States that they both swore and oath to protect and defend they need to be prosecuted.

The twisted mind of Dick Cheney thinks enhanced interrogation was appropriate and that it worked. His entire tenure as Vice-President was a form of torture for the entire country he served. Torture is inhumane and we as a World power should know better. America is far from being a great country as long as we elect incompetent leaders.

We didn't see much of Cheney while he was a VP. Now we see him all the time. It appears that CHeney, Pallin and other conservatives are afraid of Obama and are trying to discredit him. THey really want to get back in power so Cheney has to defend the tactics used and keep every in fear mode. THe drastic interregation tactics used probably weren't needed–whatever happened to the so called "truth serum"???? Wouldn't that have worked too. We need health care not scare tactics so the conservatives can get back in office.

It was interesting to have Cheney's old advisor come on and say that "torture has a legal definition." Problem- who's legal definition are we going with? Most people might assume that we are all talking about the UN convention on torture. She was most likely referring to the Bybee/Yoo memo (a particular interpretation of the UN convention on torture) which concludes by noting that "the statute, taken as a whole, makes plain that it prohibits only extreme acts.” In short, the Bush-era "legal definition" of torture is extremely wide and covers a multitude of sins, so to speak. We all need to make sure we know what definitions people are working with.

Really? (SNL style empahsis) Obama justice now to investigate the CIA using ACLU metrics? What are they smoking? This is Chicago intellegencia run amuck. This is not a Harvard debate. The CIA is already on a knife's edge not to fall into Slumdog Millionaire style 3rd world torture tactics yet needing to break those whose sworn objective it is to break the US.

Im so over Cheney. Apparently he feels like he constantly needs to be on the defensive lately...must be a good reason for that.

It never ceases to amaze me how Americans seem to the be only ones in the world who want to put rules and restrictions on waging war. Did we not learn anything from Pres Johnson's catastrophic mismanagement of the Viet Nam War? How many "Rules of Engagement" did he agree to at the demand of the North Viet Namese which put our troops in mortal danger? Why do we insist on lily-livered, everyone play nice now, "interrogations"? First we say we will mirandize them. Next after promising he would not prosecute any of the CIA officers, Obama now releases the reigns on Holder. He is going to create a castrated CIA, the likes of which we haven't seen since the Carter Administration; a CIA so castrated and fearful of doing anything that our next clue about terrorist action will be a mushroom cloud on the horizon.

great B Franklin quote. thanks!

Remember. Cheney came from the same state that tortured a kid for being gay – and killed him. Until his daughter came out, I wouldnt be surprised if he didnt see their actions as okay – short of death. On the other hand, it would be wrong to stereotype Wyomingans as intolerant fools. (Although I can speak from experience, that was how they treated their Native Americans – the Shoshones.)

Where is the integrity of the American people? Where is our backbone? We complain that we were promised change yet scream in protest at what change represents. Perfect case in point:: Obama tries to institute health care reform and people shout, "Government takeover! Death panels! Socialism!" And, like lemmings, the American public is easily swayed.

Of course going after what was actually done during the Bush administration is tricky ground. It opens up the door to divisive debates. But when has the pursuit of justice ever been easy? Or convenient? Or even politically safe, for that matter? When was the last time that any top members of an executive administration were actually held responsible for their actions while in office? Never, in my memory. And I'm 54 years old.

As Dick Armey, Republican majority leader under the Bush administration, admitted that Dick Cheney lied to him about the existence of weapons of mass destruction, thus leading him to use his influence to initiate a pre-emptive war on Iraq. If Cheney will lie to leaders in Congress in order to promote his own agenda, why would anyone believe he would suddenly be honest in justifying other actions?

Much of what was done in supposed defense of America while Bush was in office was morally wrong, if not illegal. And the only way to at least take a step toward making sure we, the public, aren't so easily and thoroughly lied to again is by making certain that officials–from the top down–are held accountable. Justice for all is supposed to be one of the cornerstones of our country. It ain't easy. It ain't politically wise. But it's the kind of change that only a very courageous president would ever hope to achieve.

I'm sorry but Dick Cheney just looks like the devil, and h acts like the devil also.
Gay aughter or not he is just plain evil.

Was Cheney right? Is breaking the law okay? Is torturing okay? Is threatening to rape someone's family what we do? Do we turn a blind eye to anyone who does that to one of us? Don't we expect the American justice system to hold such criminals accountable and isn't that result what keeps us safe in our own beds?

Sadaam. Milosovic. And Cheney. They all thought that morality and the rule of law applied to everyone but them. But we know better.

I'm confused. How can we as Americans forget the fear, shock and uncertainty we experienced following the attack on our country on September 11, 2001? How long did it take for many of us to fly again? Remember the financial beating the airline industry took? We wanted the perpetrators found and punished. We wanted our land protected at all costs. These terrorists are plotting against us to this day. They cannot be granted the protection of the Geneva convention because they are unlike any enemy we have ever experienced! They hate us...hate us! And will do anything in their power to destroy America, ruin our cities, destroy our infrastructures and financial stability. President Bush and Vice President Cheney were trying to keep America safe by all means possible and yes that included torture. Get real people. Now that the menace has passed and we feel somewhat safe again, we are second guessing ourselves all over the place. Will it take a second attack to snap us to attention again? Anderson, you sounded dangerously biased when you were interviewing Mary Matlin tonight regarding your perception that Mr. Cheney is backing off of his statement that enhanced interrogation resulted in saving American lives. I agree with Annie Kate's statement that "desperate times sometimes require desperate measures". America is not safe....not by a long shot..

As an aside, DO NOT allow Gitmo to be closed and for all the criticism the world has to give....it can take these worst of the worst. Do Not allow these terrorists on our soil just to give Americans jobs. In our prisons, we have American prisoners who feel their country has given them a raw deal. Expose them to these terrorists and create more. Maybe some will even be released, remain under the power of their terrorist mentors and help to create new cells within our land. This is beyond frightening.

Anderson Im going to try to be nice but tell me was the Bush years right about anything? It seems to me they left us in a mess. It will take years to get out of this mess!!! As you can tell I was no fan of Bush he messed this country up so bad in so many ways!! Go back in time when Bush took over we had a surplus, when he left we are in war, recession, we have lost respect of countries that I never thaught we would!! Im not saying Obama is better I dont know yet money wise Im starting to wonder but I will give anyone a chance. Thanks for reading!

The more Dick Cheney speaks out, the more desperate he sounds..thus the more guilty he appears!

EVERYONE should just back off with the comments and allow the facts to come out as the records are examined.

I believe that if we think it's okay for the United States to use torture (no matter what the circumstances) then we are leaving US captured soldiers and personsonnel more open to having torture used on them. As much as I'm disgused by 9/11 and terrorist attacks..sinking to the lowest level of behavior eventually drags down a whole society. More and more indignities used on fellow man eventually makes the society more tolerant to such behavior (this is a proven fact)....and the lower we sink the harder it becomes to climb back to a level of dignity and empathy towards mankind in general

Saying this...I am disgusted by Mr. Cheney's behavior and attitude.

Wow. The whole idea of the "war on terror" is to kill more terrorists than we create. Torture CREATES future terrorists, and our military is forced to bear the retaliation of the crimes our elected officials perpetrate. Holding people accountable for torture CRIMES is not outlandish, and it's not a distraction from health care reform. C'mom, we"re Americans...we can handle more than one news story (debate) at a time.

To all of those who think we need to let this go...How do you plan on explaining the significance of the Nuremberg trials to your children?

Dick Cheney (and John McCain) are toxic to our present president. All either one of them do is undermine whatever President Obama opines. If what they felt worked, the US wouldn't be in the shape it was when President Obama took office. Both of them need to stop undermining the elected official and be "E pluribus Unum" ("Many uniting into One").

Dick Cheney, has led the country down a slippery path during his time in the White House. Ignoring the reports of imminent threats of terrorism to our country, and force feeding the public a brutal unnecessary occupation. Spending the lives of our soldiers like credit.

These people will kill our friends and family. They killed 3000 innocent people I could care less if they were tortured. If that's what saved american lives so be it. I far as I'm concerned they can do it again I don't care

While Abu Grave shows that there are exceptions, I find it hard to believe that American soldiers widespreadly engaged in sadistic torture without the belief that they could obtain valuable information. In such cases where investigators can determine that some did, be they soldiers or CIA agents, those perpetrators and their immediate superiors should be charged with criminal conduct. Unless the constitution is read to prevent the executive branch from approving such techniques, then VP Cheney will have to be judged only at the Pearly Gates...

Why don't u ask the families of the 911 victims. These innocent loved ones were burned to death. When things like this happens to someone you love u may feel totally different.

Cheney is an opportunist. He is just waiting for some other terrorist attack, no matter how small, then he will pop up from his hole-in-the-wall and say "told you so". He is going to continue doing this every 2 or 3 months. It has nothing to do with keeping the country safe. He pulled all the puupet strings for 8 years, misses the fun of that, now is trying to do it with American people.

Cheney and many others in the Bush administration were not abiding by what the U.S. constitution or historical practice would dictate. It was totally amazing to me that a majority of the public allowed it to happen for a second term after what we experienced during their first term. With people like them governing our country many other so called radicals would think they had cause to do things like 911. Although there is no just cause for what happened at 911 we might ask what would have happened if a plane with Christian symbols had flown into a major business center in another country. Would they have automatically assumed that the U.S. was behind the destruction and that they could declare war, humiliate the entire population of our country and torture every Christian they could find? Most of the world thinks we, the U.S., over reacted. I agree.

The term torture is being thrown around very loosely in my opinion. How about a definition so everyone has a frame of reference. Maybe a world definition and an American definition to see if there are differences. I kindof think what goes on in the rest of the world relative to treatment of individuals for a varity of purposes would open eyes in this country about torture. The timing of the current investigation is dumb regardless of the motivation because regardless of the motivation it will only serve to line up both sides of the argument. The investigation is equally dumb for the same reason. Maybe five years or so from now-maybe.

So why is DICK Cheney all over the news now??? Where the heck was he when he was VP? No one ever seen or heard from him before when he was in office (which was a good thing). Now he's all over the news. He needs to crawl back into his cave and stay there. He is an evil man! So why wasn't he out and about when 911 happend? Instead, he was no where to be seen...collecting his check(s) on his "investments" from the war he help start. Nice job DICK!

Our country has always done a great job of keeping us free & safe, there has been more things done in the past that would be considered "torture", but those news events were not as accessible as they are today. Many other countries have laws that govern there own with ways we would call torture, so be happy that you can keep your fingers, head, & most of the time your life, because in the USA you go to prison with a hot meal. Why not put yourself in Cheney's shoes, you have the lives of a country full of people to protect, no pressure. If he did not do things to prevent it you would hang him as well as you hang him for trying. If you are qualified for the position & will do a better job, then get in there & do it!!!

It is easy for us to sit in the comforts of our freedoms and special priviledges that the United States holds for all of us and make judgement on issues of terrorism and torture. No one will come to agreement on the torture issues. Until you walk in those shoes of whom have been there, you cannot talk about something without first hand experience. In other words if you ask the victims or family of victims of terrorists how they feel it would be different than someone of the Democratic party on a witch hunt for a what they term as "justification" for these interrogation proceedures whether humane or inhumane. How about our homeland terrorism. That of gang murders. There is no difference. We want justice on those that terrorize others whether at home or afar. But what all this boils down to is a driven division between parties and who is right and who is wrong and who will win in the end. But what no one seems to grasp, that in an effort to forgo security measures and release of information so Democrats can "get their man", we are all making America and Americans look like a bunch of irresponsible, petty, whining bunch of nincompoops who are so busy fighting our own within we look weak and insecure and allow others to continue to want to tear down the greatest and FREE-est nation in the world. When tragidy strikes, in the most horrid moments it isn't about divided people, democrates to one side and republicans to the other, those that want to hurt others don't give a rats ass. So people like Obama's organization and his cronnies like Paul Begalla, James Carvell, Mr. Martin, Keith Olgermann, Chris Matthews and Rachell Madcow who continually cut down and synical condescention of Americas past administration and present administration and political leaders really really really makes us look like a bunch of cry baby fools. People need to get back to the basics of social eticasy, manners and grow the hell up because those that cry fowl don't understand the importance of security and protection and don't get it until it stands on their door step and knocks on their personal door. We are America first and foremost. We are obligated to protect within first then babysit others who need help second.

All i can say about Dick Cheney is if he broke the law he should be punish for it and anyone else. Because right now if Presient Obama broke the law they will quickly i mean like last week thrown him under the jail. People should know by now that whats done in the dark will come to the light sooner or later!

It's a nice heart warming thing to say "torture is bad," but that doesn't change reality; there are times when the end justifies the means. This is not torture for the sake of torture, it is not the middle ages or the church saying that they must repent, it is for the sake of survival. I can best say it this way; if a man is in front of me with knowledge of people who are conspiring to kill my daughter, I will do anything and everything to find out all that he knows, no matter what people thought of me. I doubt anyone would do differently. Not only should these things not be shocking but, expected. I would expect no better treatment if the tables were turned; actually it is well known that a captured US soldier will not only be tortured but, have their head cut off. The fact that the CIA was doing everything available to keep their people, their family, safe gives me nothing but relief.

Cheney was so wrong and the report proves it. There is no good evidence that the torture provided any useful information. Even if it had, even if torture supplied massive amounts of information that led to the killing of enemies that were planning attacks, it would still not be justified. Cheney is a sociopath. Every time he opens his mouth he proves it again.

oh my god cheney won't shut up we hate this liar so much he didn't give a damn what the public was feeling he said "so" and did what the hell he wanted the teapartes and rant screaming old white people in these town hall meeting are nobody but racists and bigots who are only out there turning red because president OBAMA is a black who they hate and that is why the birthers are so freaking out of their minds . damn he won for four years they want their country back i am an born american when did it because just their country wow !BUSH and CHENEY rob the hell out of it got thousand kill for nothing and this fool and his dumd as nail daughter liza are out there putting our president down they should be tied for treason. CHENEY HE HAS HAD HIS 8 YEARS OF LYING TO THE PUBLIC I SAY GO GET HIM AND PUT HIM UNDER THE JAIL MAYBE IN THE SAME AS THE PRISON HE HAD WATERBOARDED.

I retired from the US Army after 22 years and have seen a lot during this time. Yes, it may upset those that we use scare tactics to get information. However, it has proven to work and has saved lives in this country as well as overseas.

If people continue to stick their heads in the sand and ignore the fact there are people who want nothing better than to eliminate us as a culture, keep going for at this rate we will all be dead.

Oh, I do agree we should treat these terrorist as they treat or prisoner – if you notice, there are none as they behead our men on video and show the pictures to the world.

During the terrorist attack in Mecca, the Saudis captured the terrorist, torture them (burned out eyes and cut out their tongues) and then not only executed them but executed their families to prevent any future issues. You say a threat is inhumane? The Saudis understand how to deal with the problem, we need to wake up and let the people who are assigned to protect us do their job.

It doesn't matter if he was or not. The US is not a bunch of barbarians and the end does NOT justify the means.

Why is it that we didn't hear from Cheney, until after he was no longer the VP? It's because all the "crap" that he pulled while and even before he was VP is coming to light and he is now "tap dancing" as fast as he can. Maybe our federal investigators will probe even more and find out about ALL the profits that Cheney made, during the war in Iraq.....remembering that he is big in Halliburton.....

I think Cheney should've and needs to keep his trap shut.....even better maybe he should be serving time alongside Madoff....

@Mike, Syracuse: re: "you don’t win a war following the Marquis of Queensbury’s rules." Does anyone really WIN in a war?

On another note: mental abuse is TORTURE. Emotional, psychological, terrorizing w/ threats IS TORTURE. Ask anyone who has been through it. Most of them will say: I would rather be physically tortured than mentally.

But, as you pointed out: wars are won this way. Does the end justify the means? who's to say? the govt ? : )

@ rbam: on getting a psychic for Hassani Cambell, no psychic is needed, but if you insist.. .. the answer lies with the last person who admitted to seeing Hassani. "for now we see through a glass, darkly; "

Cheney did what he thought (and feels deeply) was correct. He was VOTED in office to make these decisions and rightfully so. If my life is possibly on the line and some terrorist we caught-hell with the Geneva Convention– may have answers let him sqeeal and suffer for his actions.

Folks, forget about the torture if it makes you feel better. Let’s just talk about the murders and those who have been permanently disabled and disfigured. Persons captured by the United States have been tortured in vile and vicious manner until they died.
Once upon a time I was mandated to carry a card that read the following on the reverse side: "Identification for purposes of the Geneva Convention relative to treatment of prisoners of war of August 12 1948.” I was required to attend yearly training pertaining to this international law.
When you decide to declare war against somebody or something, the people that you capture are prisoners of war. When you declare a “War on Terrorism”, your enemy is the terrorists. The enemy has been captured. Is there any logical argument against that point? No. Perhaps those requirements that pertain to enlisted soldiers do not pertain to George Bush, the Commander In Chief? That is why his administration called them insurgents rather than terrorists.
So far only enlisted soldiers have been prosecuted during this “War on Terror”. Yes folks the lower ranks have been prosecuted and they have done time. The standards that apply to the Private must also apply to the uppermost levels of command.
The United States Army is run by civilians by law. Some of those civilians are the Secretary of the Army, Secretary of Defense, and the commander in Chief. Civilians control all the branches of the armed services, all government agencies, and civilians declare the wars and make the laws. If enlisted soldiers have been prosecuted why are civilians and commissioned officers not held accountable? You do not follow orders, you follow lawful orders.
The English used the same tactics against their terrorists- the colonists and a war erupted

Our Goverment or any of its employees doing something Illegal??????
C.I.A. breaking the law??? you must be joking(Yes I'm being sarcastic)
How many have Swiss or offshore bank accounts & have evaded paying taxes for years? Thats what I want to know.