"Waterboarding Is Torture."

Three words. Three simple, plain, English words. That was all it took. No dithering. No beating around the Bush. No ummm's, or uhhh's. Just three words to declare what most of the human race has known all along. "Waterboarding is torture."

Nazi's and Japanese were hung for it. It has always been part of the Geneva Convention rules. It is taught to every military recruit in the US military. There is no doubt in any reasonable human mind that "waterboarding is torture."

Yet, for the past several years, under the Bush Administration, it has been clear to all that indeed it was being used on prisoners. We heard of it from Gitmo. We heard of it from Abu Ghraib. It was rumored that it was being used on folks being held under special rendition.

Mr. Cheney and several others, including Mr. Hayden, inside the Administration poo poo'd it for quite some time. Finally saying that it was an excellent tool that should be kept in the arsenal of those who interrogate. That it was actually benign. That people couldn't/wouldn't be killed if subjected to it. That it had given authorities valuable information and had saved lives.

All of that is bullshit, of course. Experts say that it didn't/hasn't given us anything like valuable information, and is a useless tool that does nothing for anyone. Except sadists.

Mr. Holder, the AG designee, provided the three word reply to a question asked by Senator Leahy. He left no doubt in anyone's mind what he thought of waterboarding. What was not asked, and what bothers me at this moment is: what happens next? Will you take this conclusion forward. If those inside the Bush Administration ordered torture, which is a war crime, will they be brought to trial? Will justice be served?

"Waterboarding Is Torture." I hope that the end of this nasty proposition is that the rest of the world is shown that we are indeed a country, once again, ruled by law.