THE C.I.A. INVESTIGATION.

Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to move forward with the investigation of CIA interrogators could lead to more and more probes into the activities of the agency during the Bush administration. Despite the fact that the idea was a political one, as many people have remarked, Federal prosecutor Mr. John Durham would proceed to preoccupy himself with the arduous task of carrying out his assignment.

The Republican members in Congress have objected to any type of investigation of CIA operatives from the past, as that would affect the morale of the people presently working in the agency. "They've kept us safe for eight years, " said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y. "And now to have an attorney general of the United States opening up a criminal investigation against them -- it's disgraceful and I think it's going to have a demoralizing effect on the CIA."

Former Vice-President Dick Cheney was the first to raise a red flag against such a move on the part of the Obama government, and said that it would set a bad precedent for future administrations.

In his appearance on FOX News Sunday with Chris Wallace, he made it clear that the investigation was uncalled for; it would damage the image of the CIA; and it would not be in the interest of the nation's security. He was answered by Gen. Jim Jones, the present National Security Adviser to the Obama administration, who presented very few facts to counter-act Mr. Cheney's statements.

Yet, senior members of the Democratic Party were urging what could only be described as a political witch hunt to continue. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wanted it, as she herself has even accused the agency in May (2009) "of lying to her in 2002 about its use of waterboarding". House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers also maintained that the investigation, as it stood right now, did "not go far enough".

The CIA has been under attack before in the 1970s; however those were for its delving in domestic affairs, which did not fit its role of dealing with external and international matters. In fact, some of its members went to prison as a result.

Nevertheless, the 9/11 attacks released such public outcry and anger that called for aggressive intelligence maneuvers in handling terrorists, and especially, high-valued ones, when they were detained; indicating that the circumstances at that time were totally different. Indeed, they, interrogators, did what they were supposed to do to keep the country safe.

Breaking of laws should be taken seriously, as the Attorney General should insist; but on the pretext that his decision would alter the image of America one single bit, was not at all convincing to warrant an investigation of the kind that he was putting forward; and if President Obama allowed it (investigation) to go on, where would it end?