There is the principle that when Justice has to be done then it has to be seen to be done. And the start of that process is the isolating and clear identification of the crime in question that has to be dealt with.

Hi there! I am not sure we disagree at all even if you said we did. :) I would agree that justice has to be seen as well as done. But we aren't seeing justice being served on anyone here in the States who committed torture or authorized it - at least not the people and officials responsible for this program being so widespread. No official process is underway attempting to hold anyone accountable that I am aware of in the States. At least in the UK there is a criminal investigation into the Binyam torture and in Spain they are actively attempting to conduct these investigations.. Nor has Obama announced this as one of his priorities. Nor have we heard one word from DOJ on whether they plan to investigate anyone for war crimes.

We already know the crimes in many of these cases ie. torture and/or torture and murder or torture with intent to commit bodily harm, etc. What we may not know yet is all of those who committed these since no one is conducting an investigation. And there clearly are enough reported and documented cases of torture being committed that someone should have begun an investigation of this a long time ago.

You really have to have someone willing to investigate torture as a crime in order to know whom to prosecute for what and for people to understand that this process is going on and decisions are being made and will be made as evidence pours in. That's why I have claimed that in the absence of this formal process even starting with no leadership coming from the top ie Obama or his DOJ, organizations like NPR seem free to not to use the word "torture."

Dear prosecute bush;

Thank you for contacting the NPR Office of the Ombudsman. We appreciate your feedback on NPR's Juan Williams.

NPR staff is held to a strict code of ethics and practices. These standards are in place to protect and support the integrity, impartiality and conduct of our journalists. We encourage you to review the code, which is posted online.

Because of their roles for multiple media outlets, several listeners have contacted us to learn more about Juan's professional involvement at NPR and elsewhere.

NPR News Analyst Juan Williams is also a contributing political analyst for the FOX News Channel and a regular panelist on FOX News Sunday.

It is not uncommon for NPR reporters to appear on other networks, such as CNN and PBS. The integrity of Williams has been carefully vetted by NPR staff, and their extensive knowledge in journalism has qualified him to fulfill his given roles. I encourage you to view his biographies on NPR.org. Juan Williams

On the NPR website you can also find the column by NPR's Ombudsman in which she addresses thi issue.

Again, thank you for bringing your observations and thoughts to our attention. Your comments have been forwarded to the Ombudsman for her consideration.

Sincerely,

Anna Tauzin

Office of the Ombudsman

NPR

I just read the NPR Ombudsman's response and it is now clear to me as to why she won't meet with you.

She has nothing to say! Her strongest position is that W. and Cheny don't believe that EITs are torture and we have to respect their opinion.

I registered with NPR only so that I could leave a comment telling her how repulsive I found her response.

Shepard: "[...] But no matter how many distinguished groups -- the International Red Cross, the U.N. High Commissioners -- say waterboarding is torture, there are responsible people who say it is not. Former President Bush, former Vice President Cheney, their staff and their supporters obviously believed that waterboarding terrorism suspects was necessary to protect the nation's security. [...]"

The International Red Cross and the UN High Commissioners ARE the people "responsible" for calling torture torture.

Bush and the Cheney Gang, their staff and their supporters [said they] believed that Saddam had WMD, too, despite the fact that the "responsible" people [UNMOVIC] kept saying they were finding no evidence to support that claim.

That belief worked out really well for US, too.

But no matter how many distinguished groups -- the International Red Cross, the U.N. High Commissioners -- say waterboarding is torture, there are responsible people who say it is not. Former President Bush, former Vice President Cheney, their staff and their supporters obviously believed that waterboarding terrorism suspects was necessary to protect the nation's security.--Alicia Shepard

She left out: 'The United States military justice system has prosecuted "waterboarding" as a form of torture since the Spanish-American war'.

But, as Shepard says, "reasonable people can disagree". And then she clicks them off on one hand: Dick Cheney, George Bush, staff of supporters, such as John Yoo. Alicia Shepard should be run out on a rail. Her excuses are pathetic beyond belief.

Glenn Greenwald = Sean Hannity

Thank god NPR listeners have such an astute observer of the human condition representing them.

Reminds me of Don Delillo's "White Noise."

"Now they're calling it an 'Airborne Toxic Event!'"

Alicia Shepard teaches Media Ethics in the graduate program at Georgetown University.

http://scs.georgetown.edu/departments/11/master-of-professional-studies-in-journalism/faculty-bio.cfm?a=a&fId=1092

Ms. Shepard's avoidance for an on-air interview may be because she isn't good at verbal debate, but with a pen and time she can make a living at it.

I know I would prefer to debate via pen than in conversation, but I have that same speech impediment that Bush Jr. has where you mix up metaphors and say sentences and words in reverse order(Bushisms).

Really mature. Just say that anybody who thinks waterboarding is not toruture is obviously evil and the argument is over. You win. Other people can worry about the substance of the argument. Good work.