Ratner's not the only one who feels this way. Constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley agrees -- passionately.

"It is shameful that we would be calling for this type of commission..." Turley said. "We're obligated to investigate. This whole discussion in front of the whole world is basically saying that we are not going to comply with the promise we made, not to ourselves, but to the world."

And he's right. prosecuting torture is not optional under the treaty against torture. We're required by international law to hold torturers accountable.

Either we put these people in court or we become a nation where law doesn't mean a damned thing.