As members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Maine Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King now are faced with a particularly important opportunity — the chance to finally publicize this country’s use of torture since 9/11.

In December, the Intelligence Committee approved a 6,000-page report on the CIA’s use of torture on post-9/11 detainees. This is the most comprehensive report on torture yet produced. However, the report remains unavailable to the public.

There are a number of reasons why the report should be released.

First, the government has been extremely opaque about the United States’ use of torture, particularly since 9/11. If this report is published, one of this country’s most noted values —  transparency — will finally be reinstated.

Second, the Intelligence Committee’s report will provide clear evidence that torture did not lead to vital intelligence. Last month, a high level, bipartisan Task Force on Detainee Treatment, convened by the independent organization the Constitution Project, released its own 500-page report, which was also quite revelatory in terms of the immoral depths military and intelligence officials went in an effort to secure information.

But that report is based solely on information available to the public and personal interviews. According to the Task Force report, torture did not lead to accurate intelligence. In fact, American lives and security were put further at risk because of faulty intelligence gathered through torture and because of the anger inspired in enemies due to the use of such tactics.

As a person guided by my Catholic faith, I already know torture to be unacceptable under any circumstance. So if we are to continue to debate the question of its efficacy, the Constitution Project’s report combined with the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report will provide the American people with the truth, so even the naysayers will know definitively that torture is an ineffective tool for interrogation.

Maine’s senators have a long history of being on the right side of the torture issue. As a Republican on the committee, Sen. Olympia Snowe courageously voted in favor of the adoption of this report, leaving an admirable legacy for herself in the Senate and in Maine politics.

Sen. Collins, likewise, voted in favor of applying the Army Field Manual standard to all interrogations, all but eliminating torture in the field.

While I trust that Maine’s senators will once again make Maine residents proud, I stand with my fellow members of the National Religious Committee Against Torture in urging both Sens. Collins and King to vote in favor of releasing the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report.

This country’s legitimacy depends on it.

Marc R. Mutty is the recently retired director of public affairs for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. He lives in Freeport and was raised in Lewiston.