Some how as this story fades from view, I am left with a continued annoyance that nobody in the press with the possible exception of Hersh, has put the dots together. This is still spun as abuse and mistreatment of prisoners story.
The story is not a mistreatment and abuse story. It is a look at the War on Terror as it was planned, implemented and is currently being conducted.
========
I might be wrong, there may be other mainstream reporters seeing the whole cloth, but I think Hersh is on his own here.
Of course, outlets like Fox are working the "few bad apples" angle like a stripper rounding the pole. Other, somewhat less openly ideological outlets such as NPR (yeah, I wrote "somewhat less openly ideological") squeeze the "few bad apples" for juice but do allow a peek at the entire machine.
A lot of Americans like this partial view, it confirms and reinforces core beliefs. There isn't a real problem, just a few jerkoffs making us all look bad.
The alternative explanation, the one Hersh is building -- that the War on Terror is rotten to the bone, a kind of illness -- is too horrible (and frightening really) to accept.
.d.