One little word

And the entire edifice could collapse.

The biggest problem for Mr. Mukasey remains his refusal to take a clear legal position on the interrogation technique. Fear of opening the door to criminal or civil liability for torture or abuse, whether in an American court or in courts overseas, appeared to loom large in Mr. Mukasey’s calculations as he parried questions from the committee this week. Some legal experts suggested that liability could go all the way to President Bush if he explicitly authorized waterboarding.

And who says the Bush/Cheney administration doesn't plan ahead...at least when it comes to shielding themselves from future prosecution.

Meanwhile, I think there are soon going to be a great number of job openings over at State.

During the meeting, one Foreign Service officer likened the Iraq order to a “potential death sentence,” The Associated Press reported. “It’s one thing if someone believes in what’s going on over there and volunteers, but it’s another thing to send someone over there on a forced assignment,” said the officer, who identified himself as Jack Croddy and once worked as a political adviser with NATO forces, The Associated Press reported. “I’m sorry, but basically that’s a potential death sentence, and you know it.”

The comments were directed at Harry Thomas, the Foreign Service director general. Ms. Rice did not attend the meeting, but her Iraq deputy, David Satterfield, was there.

“I certainly understand very much that this is extremely difficult for people who have not contemplated this kind of service,” Mr. Satterfield said in an interview. But, he added, “this is an expeditionary world. For better or worse, it requires an expeditionary service.”

Many federal employees have refused repeated requests that they go to Iraq, while others have demanded that they be assigned only to Baghdad and not be sent outside its fortified Green Zone, which includes the American Embassy and Iraqi government ministries.

I wonder what other expeditions we can expect before sanity can be restored.