The sordid stain that tarnishes democracy

WHEN the history of the early 21st century is written, the words Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib will feature prominently, as well as al-Qaeda and Taleban. Many, particularly in the United States, will protest that there is no moral equivalence between the fanatical Islamists and jihadists, who use suicide bombers deliberately to murder and maim innocent civilians, and western powers trying to protect themselves.

But those who are angered by such a comparison need to search their hearts as to why the human rights abuses at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib were allowed to occur. Or why, seven years on, Guantanamo continues to exist, leaving some 270 internees in lega...