August 24, 2009 3:39PM 

# A Transparent Inquiry: The Only Way Forward 

By [Jim Harper](https://www.cato.org/people/jim-harper) 

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How could a country that claims to abide by principles like constitutional government and the rule of law do anything other than investigate credible claims of official abuse?

News that [Attorney General Holder will appoint a prosecutor to investigate such claims](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/24/AR2009082401743.html) will only surprise or upset people who have lost track of our national values.

CIA Director Leon Panetta doesn’t help the cause by issuing a [statement to the CIA staff](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/24/raw-data-panetta-letter-cia-staff-release-interrogation-report/) saying, “America is a nation at war.” Whether we are or not, that lullaby-in-reverse — reassuring CIA staff with a poke at the panic button — would seem to ratify expediency over professionalism.

##### Related Tags 

[Defense and Foreign Policy](https://www.cato.org/defense-foreign-policy) 

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