Charon, i don't disagree at all with your main idea. Abu Ghraib turned out to work against us... it was a symbol of evil even before we got there. I question some of the judgement and leadership surrounding that issue, including the stupidity of allowing cameras inside.
my point, and the point others here are trying to make, is that in 4th Gen Wartime, our country has to stick together and speak externally with one voice, instead of siezing on every mistake or foul up and publisizing it world wide as loudly as possible to make the current administration look bad, the way the then out-of-power democrat party has done - for political gain. This is not to say that the Abu Ghraib issues should not be addressed.
4th Generation war is still war, with American lives at stake. that hasn't changed, but it didn't seem to mean much to democrat politicians tripping all over themselves to be the first to trumpet Abu Ghraib world wide to make as much trouble as possible to shame Bush and America and pave their way back into power - the aide and comfort to the enemy was coincidental I'm sure.
real torture, the kind used by the islamists - the nightmare stuff that results in agony, permanent injuries and death, is germain to my point because the silence about it from the very same trumpeters of Abu Ghraib illustrates the self-serving cynacism of the American liberal politicians and the islamists.