Do we know when the heat got turned up under this investigation? If the press had those pictures, and the investigation was proceeding at a leisurely pace, it could be that they began to feel their restraint made them party to the crimes.

The Red Cross complained about this to the State Department months ago. The Pentagon knew there were photographs, and yet only suspended a few MPs. The prison continued to be administered by the same officers, months after the Red Cross complained to State, months after the Pentagon knew there was a problem, until the photos were released by the media.

Powell had been leaning on "other cabinet officials" to expedite the investigation, but it's only Colin, so it apparently wasn't important enough to put it on the front burner before it hit the front page.

Now, suddenly, after the curtain has been pulled back, the investigation has speeded up. What a coincidence.

It only became important enough to expedite once it became a political problem.