I was hoping to post the story as printed in USN&WR (U.S. News and World Report, dated 19Mar07), but it ain't listed. My guess is that some reporting is not equal to others for their senior editors.

The gist of the article is about Mohamad al Qahtani (you know the fat guy they always picture looking like he just got out of bed) - being held at Gitmo - (alleged al Qaeda operative) who has recanted confessions ("so brutally coersed that military officials have said publically the 'evidence' can never be used to prosecute him"). He was formally charged, and then the charges dropped or atleast sidelined because it would allow him his day in court.

Still, according to the article (not posted on the USnews web site) Qahtani may yet get his day in court - as the lead plaintiff in a war-crimes complaint filed in Germany against Rumsfeld and other US officials (George Tenet, Alberto Gonzales, David Addington, chief of staff to Cheney, and former Justice Dept. officials John "the GenevaConventions are antiquated" Yoo and Jay "Torture is subjective" Bybee) who helped draft Bush administration policies on treatment of suspected terrorists.

"The criminal complaint was filed on behalf of Qahtani and 11 Iraqi citizens allegedly tortured in Iraq's notorious Abu Ghraib prison, under Germany's tough universal-jurisdiction statute, which allows the German federal prosecutor to investigate crimes against humanity anywhere. INTERNATIONAL HUMAN-RIGHTS GROUPS HAVE LONG USED SUCH STATUTES, passed by several nations, including the United States, TO TARGET FOREIGN DICTATORS. ......"

In 2004, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a similar complaint against Rumsfeld and the other defendants, But the US threatened a range of sanctions against Germany, and the complaint was dismissed on the eve of a Rumsfeld trip to Munich.

It is probably a moot point, and nothing may ever come of this for the obvious international ramifications, but it does demonstrate just how far the integrity of the U.S. has fallen since the Bush era began.

A final note: "It's one thing when a small countries in the world conduct torture and get yelled at," says Michael Ratner, CCR's president. "But when the U.S. does it, who's going to hold them accountable?"

And, that is the point. Who is going to hold Rummy and friends accountable for breaking not only our laws - but international laws that we signed up too?