Anyone interested in prosecuting this war on terrorism must now listen to the Democrats. Yes, that's right. The Washington Post editorial makes a strong case of revisiting how the U.S. should treat detainees. Perhaps like a stopped clock that gets it right twice in 24 hours, the Democrats are correct, via this editorial, to demand a thorough investigation about the abuse of detainees at the hands of American servicemen. This would be in stark contrast to the waste of time the Democrats are spending on the 9/11 commission in a vain attempt to undermine Bush.

The issue of having the U.S. follow the Geneva Conventions in Guatanamo Bay is likely to be resisted on the grounds that intelligence gathering depends on absolute secrecy, yet the recent appalling photos could lead to serious public and international outcry about what exactly is happening at Gitmo and lead to a loosening of control. That might not be wise for the war on terror, but, which is worse, a risk of compromised intelligence or bad PR throughout the world for the U.S. that would further erode our efforts to fight terrorism? Both are unacceptable and it would be a matter of weighing one against the other. One can also argue that no matter what the U.S. does it will be hated.

But there should be an overhaul and much more pervasive oversight of how prisoners of war are treated under the watch of the Bush Administration. The Post examines the missteps of Rumsfeld, though understandable in the kind of war we are fighting, that led to the horrible treatment of Iraqi detainees in the Abu Gharib prison:

The foundation for the crimes at Abu Ghraib was laid more than two years ago, when Mr. Rumsfeld instituted a system of holding detainees from Afghanistan not only incommunicado, without charge, and without legal process, but without any meaningful oversight mechanism at all. Brushing off his violation of the Geneva Conventions, Mr. Rumsfeld maintained that the system was necessary to extract important intelligence. But it was also an invitation to abuses -- and reports of those abuses have been appearing since at least December 2002, when a Post story reported on harsh "stress and duress" interrogation techniques bordering on physical torture. Other reports by journalists and such groups as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch documented the lawless detention and criminal treatment of detainees, including the deaths of at least two prisoners at the Bagram air base in Afghanistan that were ruled homicides by military investigators. Yesterday the Army revealed that two Iraqi prisoners were killed by U.S. prison guards last year and that 20 other detainee deaths and assaults are still being investigated in Iraq and Afghanistan. No one has been criminally charged in any of these deaths.

[H]arsh "stress and duress" interrogation techniques bordering on physical torture. I'm not sure exactly what that means. Remember, we are dealing with an enemy far tougher and resolved than most of us in the comfort of our homes. Sometimes interrogation can border on abuse, such as what police may do to extract information. It is not to say that all is fair in love and war, but that there should be latitude in how prisoners of war, who are being interrogated for information that could save lives, be treated.

But the deaths of detainees in Afghanistan and Iraq must be thoroughly investigated and regulations should be established to avoid that from ever happening again. The Post:

We have been saying for some time that Congress has neglected its responsibility to oversee the administration's conduct and provide the missing legal framework for handling foreign detainees. The result of its inaction and of the administration's refusal to respond to previous reports of abuses is the scandal of Abu Ghraib, which has done incalculable damage to the U.S. position in Iraq and around the world. The only way to even partial recovery is a full and independent congressional investigation of the abuses, both in Iraq and elsewhere; prosecution of all those responsible for crimes; and, finally, a resolve to handle prisoners in conformance with American standards of decency.

Indeed. It is time for the Republicans in Congress and the Bush Administration to listen up. Fat chance in our divided nation.

But they should listen. Nothing less than human decency should win the day on this issue. Especially for those of us who support this war. How can we live with ourselves if we overlook such cruelty committed by a small number of our troops, bringing dishonor to their colleagues in arms and especially to those who have given their lives to fight this righteous war?