Holder Drops Many CIA Inquiries

The Justice Department is walking away from criminal investigations into most of the CIA officials who took part in torture and other harsh interrogations of terrorism suspects. Attorney General Eric Holder made that announcement Thursday, but added that his department will continue investigations into agents responsible for the deaths of two detainees. Except for the ongoing cases, the decision brings an end to a contentious period for the CIA, which saw sharp polarization between those who believed the inquiry was a witchhunt into officials trying to do their job as instructed and others who argued that allowing Americans to get away with torture was immoral and illegal.