"In fairness, the environment was different then because we were closer to Sept. 11 and people were still in a panic," said one U.S. official present during the early briefings. "But there was no objecting, no hand-wringing. The attitude was, 'We don't care what you do to those guys as long as you get the information you need to protect the American people.' "

Only after information about the practice began to leak in news accounts in 2005 -- by which time the CIA had already abandoned waterboarding -- did doubts about its legality among individual lawmakers evolve into more widespread dissent. The opposition reached a boiling point this past October, when Democratic lawmakers condemned the practice during Michael B. Mukasey's confirmation hearings for attorney general.

And this article: "Pilosi and Torture"
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?bid=1&pid=258258

Only after information about the practice began to leak in news
accounts in 2005 -- by which time the CIA had already abandoned
waterboarding -- did doubts about its legality among individual
lawmakers evolve into more widespread dissent.

That's what people can do with the web. We have a little more power, now, to expose evil, perhaps more often than we know resulting in turn-arounds by leaders who like to keep secrets and avoid embarassment. Hooray for "widespread dissent"!

The CIA has abandoned the practice. Great. They have said that they have better techniques for dealing with terrorists and getting them to tell of their plots. Greater still.

But when our nation is, again, threatened or even attacked, I hope the CIA or whoever will do what is necessary to preserve innocent lives. And I don't even care if it's putting panties on their heads. :~(