Abu Ghraib prison scandal
The Vice President's appeal comes at a time when Congress is still dealing with the aftermath of the 
, as well as allegations of torture in Guantanamo Bay. At the same time questions about secret CIA detention centers outside of United States territory and cases of individuals that have been extradited from the United States to countries that are known to practice torture to obtain intelligence information resurface in the media.
Cheney lobbies for CIA exemption to torture ban