The American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch has called on the Justice Department to open an investigation into the torture practices committed during the administration of President George W. Bush.

They called for a special prosecutor to examine possible violations of federal criminal law including "torture, conspiracy, sexual assault, homicide and prosecute where appropriate," of prisoners held or questioned by the Central Intelligence Agency since the September 11, 2001, attacks.

"The Senate torture report shows that the CIA officials knew their methods were illegal and tried hard to cover them up," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. "A full investigation is necessary to show that torture in the name of national security is still a criminal offense."

Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the American Civil Liberties Union said in their letter to Attorney General Eric Holder the recently released summary of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Study of the CIA's Detention and Interrogation Program includes new information that requires an independent investigation and the appointment of a special prosecutor. The person appointed should be provided with the files from the Justice Department's own investigation, as well as the full 6,700-page version of the Senate torture report and to investigate a criminal investigation into all conduct, including all acts authorizing and ordering that conduct.

"The necessity of investigating issues of criminal liability is made more urgent by the fact that many of the individuals who authorized the conduct documented in the Senate torture report are publicly defending the necessity, effectiveness and legality of that conduct. ... We believe the failure to conduct a comprehensive criminal investigation would contribute to the notion that torture remains a permissible policy option for future administrations; undermine the ability of the United States to advocate for human rights abroad; and compromise Americans' faith in the rule of law at home," wrote Anthony Romero, executive director of ACLU, and Kenneth Roth, executive director of HRW.

They also wrote United States has an obligation under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment to investigate all cases of unlawful killing, torture or other ill-treatment, prosecute and sanction the perpetrators including persons in position of command.

In an interview on "Meet the Press," Dec. 14, former Vice President Dick Cheney claimed torture "worked" and announced he would "do it again in a minute" if given the opportunity.

Journalist Glenn Greenwald told HuffPost Live Cheney is able to brag about the success of torture on weekend news shows because the Obama administration has decided to shield torturers rather than prosecute them. In a 2009 New York Times article about why presidents don't tend to prosecute previous administrations is because they know if they protect their predecessor and shield them from legal accountability of their crime, they too will be shielded by successive administrations.

"Which is another way of saying the most powerful officials in the United States have exempted themselves from the rule of law. They are able to commit not just ordinary crimes but the most egregious crimes with the assurance that unlike ordinary citizens they will not be held accountable under the law. That is about as tyrannical and dangers as a framework we could have," Greenwald said.