While I think these photos should be published, and the adminstration admonished and ultimately put out of power, I also think we need to take a practical approach towards the level of anger in the muslim world. I fear not for us westerners, but rather the person who gets crushed in mob in some muslim country. I'm not fan of rioting, or inciting mobs. Given the anger around the globe, I'm not sure we should be adding the fuel to fire. As Spiderman might say with great power comes great responsibility. And I for one am not sure Salon is acting in a responsible manner. Sometimes it's best to wait til things blow over a bit before acting. Sure the photo should be covered, and US policy diligently reviewed and criticized. It's question of picking a time and place to do so. I'm not sure this is the right time.

It's about time Salon got back to business for the type of articles it made it's name with. Journalism is supposed to expose necessary and nefarious activities of any power, whether business or governmental, that threatens to undermine the rules that bind our society together. Other newspapers and magazines are willing to allow the government to sweep this under the rug and charge only the low-level soldiers involved, which does the country as a hole an injustice.

I'm honstly shocked by the extreme cowardice you have just displayed. Let's be honest, what risk have you run by publishing these photo's? Will there be violent protests by crazed mobs in front of your offices? Nope. Will you be receiving credible death threats from organized terrorist groups? Nope again. Oh, you will get heaps of praise from those on the far left, anti-American groups, Islamo-Fascists, etc., but you completely chickened out on publishing the Mohamed cartoons. Face it, you actually had to run a risk to do that and you clearly don't want to run risks. Much better to look edgy without any actual danger.

I agree with the letter writer who exposed the haughty assumption that Americans don't care about Abu Ghraib anymore. Because it really isn't a journalist's job to report their own interpretations and call them public opinion. I mean, nobody really knows what Americans think, do they? When was the last time anybody asked, in a non-biased way?

But I also have to object that, by one important measure, America seems to have let it all pass: If we cared, we would have stopped this by now. Abuses continue in prisons, even domestic ones. Bills limiting interrogation techniques seem always to get lost somewhere in Congress. Who hired these people -- Congressmen -- anyway? We did. So stop pretending that America cares but is being hoodwinked by politicians. The responsibility to stop this is ours.

My first encounter with torture was not with Abu Ghraib, but with foreign students in the '80s. I was nearly forced by conscience into an ill-conceived marriage to keep my boyfriend from being deported to the U.S.-allied country where his friends were being tortured and killed. I had to see my country for what it was, good and bad; I had to grow up and claim citizenship and responsibility in a superpower. When did so many other people get a free pass on growing up?

I hope that journalists, both courageous and cowardly, will keep publishing photographs like these, right in our faces. The point is, they're being published, so nobody can say they didn't see them.

I'm a bit surprised by some of the letters about Salon's publication of additional Abu Ghraid photos, questioning that 'all but one' are not really torture, but 'mere' degradation.

I see a parallel here with the definition of 'abuse,' such as in domestic abuse. So... it's only abuse when it's physical and there are bruises and broken limbs? Emotional and psychological abuse is not really abuse? In some ways abuse and torture that leave no marks is more insidious and damaging than that which leaves physical evidence.

Intentional degradation and psychological harm qualifies as torture and abuse, especially in light of the premeditated humiliation that was used specifically against those from the Islamic culture. What our culture might see as a 'fraternity prank' or a 'Vegas show' is the lowest of low to Muslims. Our military learned these tactics from the Israelis.

It has come to light only recently because the court order to release them came only recently, despite the pictures (and vids) being taken 2 years ago. This needs to be shown, and hurrah to Salon for posting them.

From a reader who just renewed her subscription. :-)

Perhaps the only reason to study history is to learn from the past. These pictures are an important reminder of what was done by American soldiers. Since there is no guarantee that this won't happen again it is important to publish these pictures. I am always amazed by this administration's willingness to resort to torture. We still hear of "enemy combatants" being force fed in Guantanamo Bay, of other "enemy combatants" being deported to countries that condone torture. We had the White House object to the McCain's bill against torture. Well, a picture is worth a thousand words, to use an old cliche'. Thank you for this very important reminder -- sadly it is still timely and relevant, and will continue to be until the day that we shall all take a stand against torture instead of making escuses and simply say "no more."

With the prospect of a downturn in Bush's approval because of Cheney's hunting trip, it only seems feasible that they'll start up the war drums once again for their own political gain, once again trying so desperately hard to pull the wool over our eyes and keeping us blinded to the reality that is our undeniably evil foreign policy. What happened at Abu Ghraib is a simple manifestation of the anger that exists between the West and the Middle East- anger that serves more to destroy than to build up.

As a practicing Christian, I see no greater morally reprehensible act than what transpired at Abu Ghraib, for it was at that moment that the world watched United States of America become the evil it so vocally deplored. Since then we have learned that this anger doesn't bring us anywhere but to the depths of hell as body after body returns from Iraq and Afghanistan, also shielded from public viewing.

If you find these photos disturbing, that's precisely the point, they should be. As a longtime subscriber to Salon, I vividly recall the time when Salon did in fact publish the videos of two Americans being murdered by insurgents in Iraq. That demonstrated tit-for-tat the need to rise up above this retribution-based foreign policy, to stop abusing the name of Jesus Christ, and to figure out why we need so much daily sedation from the culture that controls our very souls.

The drums will begin beating more intensely to the tune of Iran very soon, and the Paris Hiltons and Bill O'Reillys of the world will be given more attention as they continue to keep you and I entertained outside of our reality. I hope Salon continues to tear down the window dressing and delivers up the fruits of our collective anger.