By the fulfillment of my legal and moral duty I think I have earned punishment just as little as the tens of thousands of dutiful German officials who have now been imprisoned only because they carried out their duties.

Human-rights advocates for example claim that the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners is of a piece with President Bush's 2002 decision to deny al Qaeda and Taliban fighters the legal status of prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions.

Every one with this writ may be a tyrant if this commission be legal a tyrant in a legal manner also may control imprison or murder any one within the realm.

Think about how much it costs to incarcerate someone. Do we want them just sitting in prison lifting weights becoming violent and thinking about the next crime? Or do we want them having a little purpose in life and learning a skill?

The day after the prison was transferred to the military intelligence command they had an entire battalion - 1 200 1 500 soldiers - arrive at Abu Ghraib just for force protection alone.

I remember when humor was gentle pokes. I used to call it 'arm around the shoulder' humor. Now they go for the jugular and they take no prisoners. It's mean mean stuff.

Well I certainly have learned and I hope I'm moving on and certainly two years of prison was a terrible punishment.

Here's how I think of my money - as soldiers - I send them out to war everyday. I want them to take prisoners and come home so there's more of them.

History is full of people who went to prison or were burned at the stake for proclaiming their ideas. Society has always defended itself.

America is the greatest nation ever founded. The ideals are the greatest ever espoused in human history and we just need the country to live up to them. But what I worry about are the 1 million black men in the prison system.