What purpose did the torture photos serve the perpetrators?

Of course, the normal question of why are those who tortured and their masters who sanctioned it not being investigated and prosecuted for their surprisingly well-documented crimes is at the front of many of our minds.  The same people who claim that the Left is trying to put judges in place to legislate from the bench spent the last eight years trying to have lawyers at the Department of Justice legislate that torture is legal.  Wow. 

But why would they document such horrific acts?  I have to ask why, if they knew it was on the fringe of legality — and they knew that because while they had to rewrite the laws governing torture, defining it so narrowly as to allow people to get away with a great many perpetrations they were claiming that they do not torture — then why would they take pictures of the acts?  

If there were no problem with the torture that indeed was happening, there would be no problem with showing the pictures.  After all, as Jon Stewart said, “Water boarding still sucks, even if you know it’s coming.”

For whose pleasure or satisfaction that the torturous acts were actually being carried out were these pictures taken?  Dick Cheney?  George Bush?  Donald Rumsfeld?  

Who goes to such great lengths to document their crimes?  

And why is President Obama unwilling to push for prosecution?  The Department of Justice must prosecute.  Proof in the pictures.  Proof in the documents.   Indict and prosecute.