Abu Ghraib And Bush

The president's responsibility for authorizing torture techniques that were implemented at Abu Ghraib prison and in many other places is beginning to come into sharper focus. Sy Hersh today on CNN:

"HERSH: The question you have to ask about the president is this: No matter when he learned -- and certainly he learned before it became public -- and no matter how detailed it was, is there any evidence that the president of the United States said to Rumsfeld, 'What's going on there, Don? Let's get an investigation going.' Did he do anything? Did he ask for a -- did he want to have the generals come in and talk to him about it? Did he want to change the rules? Did he want to improve the conditions?

"BLITZER: And what's the answer?

"HERSH: Nada. He did nothing...

The White House keeps changing the subject to when Bush saw the actual photographs. There's a reason they have to change the subject. Bush is formally responsible for the torture and abuse and murder and rape at Abu Ghraib, Bagram, Cropper and Gitmo as commander-in-chief, period. We know he was told of the leak of his authorized torture techniques long before he claimed to be shocked by them. And when as president, you have rescinded two centuries of humane American warfare, sent the chief torture-innovator from Gitmo to Abu Ghraib, and then get caught red-handed on digital cameras, your responsibility is more than formal. It's personal.