Hot on the heels of CIA director Michael V. Hayden's admission that CIA interrogators waterboarded three detainees between 2002 and 2003, the Bush administration says they can do it again.

But in remarks that were greeted with disbelief by some members of Congress and human rights groups, White House spokesman Tony Fratto said that waterboarding was a legal technique that could be employed again "under certain circumstances."

Fratto said the nation's top intelligence officials "didn't rule anything out" during congressional testimony Tuesday on CIA interrogation methods, and he indicated that Bush might consider reauthorizing waterboarding or other harsh techniques in extreme cases, such as when there is "belief that an attack might be imminent."

To recap: a slowly administered drowning, invented by inquisitors, used by the Khmer Rouge, previously prosecuted by the US government as torture, is "a legal technique that could be employed again 'under certain circumstances.'" In other words, when push comes to shove, America tortures. Not like you didn't already know, but it's still noteworthy to hear them confess this moral calamity.

The National Religions Campaign Against Torture provides an extensive list of ways to get involved in the movement to ban torture by the US government (for real this time).

NRCAT's web site offers a cogent explanation for their motivation:

Why Are People of Faith Working to End U.S.-Sponsored Torture?

Tens of thousands of people of diverse faith traditions, including evangelical Christians, mainline Protestants, Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Quakers, Unitarians, Muslims, Jews, and Sikhs, as well as representatives of over 130 religious organizations, are working together to end U.S.-sponsored torture. Notwithstanding points of theological difference, these groups share a basic understanding and affirmation of the inherent dignity of each individual which includes:

* A conviction that all individuals are created in the image of God and therefore are endowed with a basic dignity;
* Some variant of what is commonly referred to as "The Golden Rule": That which you would not want done to yourself, do not do to another.

Each of these traditions also share ethical principles that people of faith are called to practice:

* People of faith are called to compassion - to not only care when people are degraded or hurt but to take action: to stand for, and with, those who are abused, oppressed, and among the most vulnerable.
* People of faith are called to pursue justice to assure that all people are treated fairly - as Martin Luther King once noted, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
* People of faith are called to be faithful - to be constant in their defense of each individual's dignity, humanity, and honor.
* People of faith are called to hospitality - to welcome those who are marginalized, ostracized, and perceived as Other.
* People of faith are called to make peace - to facilitate reconciliation and to create a culture of peace.

Religious institutions are called to embody these values and to engage in these tasks because of the authority they bring to issues of morality. Religious traditions emphasize ethical behavior as a demonstration of faith in action. They also provide leadership in secular society, playing an important role in influencing issues of morality at the national, state, and local levels. Furthermore, the infrastructure they provide supports the millions of people who covet justice and peace for all of God's creation.

Alexis de Tocqueville, the French historian, politicist, and observer of 19th century America, observed that "America is great because America is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." It is important for people of faith to impress upon Americans and our leaders in Washington that America's goodness, and hence its greatness, is seriously compromised by the practice of torture, or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatments of detainees.