More on the decision by the European Court of Human Rights...

And that is precisely why accountability is so vital to American democracy. We cannot have reached the stage in our development as a country where the very enormity of the government's misconduct becomes its shield against exposure. We cannot, in other words, reward the government for its wrongdoing by promising that only modest and insignificant transgressions will be brought to light. To do so would be to encourage the government to break its solemn faith with us, not by unfortunate and excusable negligence, but by unforgivable and deliberate venality. Our government would then cease to be our servant in any sense that does justice to the word. I cannot believe we have fallen that far.
Reacting to the court's decision, a spokeswoman for the Polish president said it was "shameful for Poland." But Poland at least has the opportunity to make amends, to purge its shame by confronting its past. One day the United States may do the same, but only if Americans demand more of their government. The "overriding point," we should remind our leaders, is not simply "that this program no longer exists."
 Read the entire op-ed by Joe Margulies here.http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-margulies-poland-black-site-rendition-ruling-20140727-story.html