The rejection of the Geneva Conventions, officially sanctioned torture, the abuse of prisoners, the rendition of suspects to third countries such as Egypt, Syria, and Morocco for torture, even the imprisonment and abuse of Muslim immigrants in the U.S. in 2001, and the lies the government told us and itself about what it was doing in our name are the sorriest and most appalling crimes of the Bush administration.

Documentaries everyone should see - "Taxi to the Dark Side" and "The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib." There are at least a dozen books on rendition and on torture and abuse in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay. There is no excuse for citizen ignorance.

The U.S. executed Japanese military for having waterboarded U.S. soldiers during WW II.

The torture has not made us safer. On the contrary it may have put us at greater risk by making us violent and untrustworthy. We have trashed our reputation.

The Obama administration must immediately restore our government's commitment to the Geneva Conventions, denounce and discontinue torture, and then figure out how to hold Bush, Cheney, and the rest of the sad lot at the top accountable for their crimes. "The fish stinks from the head."

— CJGC, Cambridge, MA

Why stop at Rumsfeld? In his recent interview on ABC Vice President Cheney admitted to pushing through the torture policy. The only question left is how involved Bush was. I will not be surprised if there are pardons all around. But could he pardon himself?

— Carl Bergman, Brussels, Belgium

We cannot restore the rule of law or our stature in the world without a comprehensive trial of Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld and all those complicit in torture and treason.

Yes we have grave economic problems but Obama's administration should be able to walk AND chew gum at the same time!

HOLD THEM ALL ACCOUNTABLE!!

— Sue Cohen, Rockville MD

I find it a sad commentary on the moral fiber of this country and it's citizens that there has been no outrage expressed about the war in Iraq and the behavior of this administration as detailed in the report. During the Viet Nam war people were out in the streets in large numbers protesting loudly because of their moral outrage at that foreign policy blunder, why not now? If the buck stops at the President's desk then Mr. Bush is as culpable as anyone else in his administration for what was done in the name of "national security" and he should have to answer for it as well.

— Richard W, Newark, Ohio

President Obama should immediately reinstate our commitment to the Geneva Convention and prosecute the people who violated it and those who issued the orders for torture. That would include Mr. Cheney. We should go further and compensate and apologize those who were tortured. Our torturing of people, innocent and guilty, has indeed been the terrorists' greatest recruiting tool. And the American people should know exactly what was done to the tortured, when, by whom and on whose orders. We should all be ashamed that our tax money was used for these inhumane purposes. I think President Obama will prosecute these criminals.

— Bev, New York

Most enemy combatants have been sent home from Guantanamo, and some later killed Americans on the battlefield.
On June 12, 2008, the Supreme Court ruled, in Boumediene v. Bush, 5-4 that Guantanamo captives were entitled to access the US justice system. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion:

"The laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times."

The Court also ruled that the Combatant Status Review Tribunals were "inadequate".[56] Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, David Souter and John Paul Stevens joined Kennedy in the majority.

Chief Justice John Roberts, in the minority opinion, called the CSR Tribunals[56]:

"...the most generous set of procedural protections ever afforded aliens detained by this country as enemy combatants."

Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia joined Roberts in the dissent.

Read the history of the cases leading up to this close decision and see that the Congress enacted laws to enable the President to hold jihadists bent on killing us all. The notion that he was wrong and his people put on trial is appalling and stupid. Just more Bush rage from the far left.

— NYMARTY, NEW YORK

The Senate Armed Services Committee is controlled by Democrats. I hope it is not the intent of congressional Democrats to waste the next four years taking revenge on members of the Bush administration. There is more important work to do.

This administration fought a new kind of war against a sneaky, deceitful and vicious enemy that recognized no standards of conduct. Mistakes undoubtedly were made as they are in every war, well actually every human endeavor. But why can't we focus on the successful outcome - no American within our borders has been killed in this war for seven years.

— NC, Little Rock

In this order...Cheney, Addington, Yoo, Bush, Gonzo, Tenet, Rumsfeld for starters.

"The Dark Side" by Jane Mayer should be required reading for this new administration.

It is just difficult to understand why there were so few willing to try and stop these zealots.

— JF, Indiana

The only way this stain will be washed away is with a fair and open trial. Then and only then can the torture proponents justify their orders. Accordingly, if their decisions are proven flawed, they should be held accountable.

— Claude D'Unger, Corpus Christi, Texas

Another outstanding editorial on this topic by the New York Times. What baffles me, however, is why you have decided President Obama won't support both a criminal investigation and prosecutions. Instead, you should be insisting on it. More importantly, we as American citizens should be demanding that the new President and our elected representatives in Congress support a thorough, independent investigation of crimes committed in connection with the "war on terror", as well as prosecution of those found to have broken the law. To leave even the limited amount of information that has come to light thus far on the public record, without taking any action to punish criminal acts and deter future wrongdoing, would have an unacceptably corrosive effect on the rule of law in this country and our core values.

— Gay G, Springfield, VA

Excellent editorial, though I'm not so sure about the timing. I have no doubt that President Obama will take care of business after he is sworn in. There's no advantage in mounting a flaming protest before he has the power to act. Barack Obama has recruited a formidable array of talent and experience to move this country forward on many fronts. An independent commission ought to be charged with revealing the truth on these matters in a timely fashion. Does it make sense to begin prosecution of suspects before we have a comprehensive study of alleged crimes.

My "gut" instincts tell me that Obama will honor his campaign pledges with actions that fortify his rhetoric. I say, give our heralded new leader the slack he deserves. I fancy that Mohammed Ali is his model fighter. Stay focused on the prize; bob and weave, duck and jab, keep on pressing, be patient and go for the knockout when the time is right.

Obama has several million loyal supporters willing to be patient too. I have no doubt that he would intentionally dodge this vital matter of restoring our place as the model nation where the rule of law remains as steadfast as the Statue of Liberty.

— Dana Mooring, Conway, AR

You cannot wash yourself clean of this.
Not even by prosecuting some of those responsiple for
dismissing human rights.
You, the American people elected this administration,
you refused to impeach it and instead reelected them.
Although you knew what's going on, you did'nt take to
the streets to defend your moral integrity.
So the American people is responsible.
You have to live with it.

— Alex, Germany

Etiam innocentes cogit mentiri dolor.
Should thugs taste their own medicine? They would confess anything. I guarantee it. Torture does not lead to truth, as Montaigne explained (Essays, Book II, chapter V) in the 16th century.

— Pierre Jacomet, Chle

Torture and extraordinary rendition, while distasteful, do have their place when dealing with those that do not themselves abide by the accepted rules of war, and whose plans or actions pose a grave threat to our country. When it comes to ensuring our nation's security, the ends justify whatever means are necessary. Playing by the rules when others don't is a loser's game.

— A. Rice, West Chester PA

I suppose the primary disagreement between myself and your editors is that we can't agree on what constitutes torture.

I do not believe that water boarding or sleep depravation is torture. I am also convinced that these two practices, and perhaps other such practices, undoubtly gave this country information that helped stop other terrorist attacks.

No, there should be no indictments of Rumsfeld or anyone else as suggested by your artice.Rather, we owe a debt of gratitude to Chenney, et al for keeping us safe from further terrorist attacks.

Dave Waldrop, Hurst, TX

— Dave Waldrop, Hurst TX

Actually, there was a democratic predecessor who also unilaterally abrogated the Geneva Conventions on Prisoners of War. Adolf Hitler was democratically elector as Chancellor of Germany in 1933.
Hilter unilaterally abrogated the Geneva Conventions in regard to Russian POWs. Only about 50% of Russians returned to Russia after the war. The rest were killed or died in work camps.

Guess how many German POWs returned from Russia?? About the same amount - 50%.
In contrast, the countries who still were under the Geneva convention had about 99% of their POWs returned (including America and Britain). In turn, about 99% of POWs from those countries returned to Germany. Maybe history has a lesson to teach us....
Jim Benzoni

— Jim Benzoni, Des Moines, Iowa