Waterboarding

[iago]

As many of you know, the CIA uses a form of torture known as "waterboarding" to interrogate prisoners. 

What I don't understand is, why is this allowed?  Isn't torture like, wrong?  Why does the government get away with it?

For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboarding#Modern_waterboarding

Here is the description of the CIA's waterboarding method:

"The prisoner is bound to an inclined board, feet raised and head slightly below the feet. Cellophane is wrapped over the prisoner's face and water is poured over him. Unavoidably, the gag reflex kicks in and a terrifying fear of drowning leads to almost instant pleas to bring the treatment to a halt. According to the sources, CIA officers who subjected themselves to the water boarding technique lasted an average of 14 seconds before caving in. They said al Qaeda's toughest prisoner, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, won the admiration of interrogators when he was able to last over two minutes before begging to confess. 'The person believes they are being killed, and as such, it really amounts to a mock execution, which is illegal under international law,' said John Sifton of Human Rights Watch."

Incidentally, the most common response is, "if torturing others makes me safer, it's ok".  But think about it -- when you think you're about to drown, and they're saying "tell us that all your friends are terrorists", what are you going to do?  You're going to tell them anything they want to hear, true or otherwise, to make them stop.  And that's why torture is NOT an effective form of interrogation. 

[Blaze]

Waterboarding is due to become a banned practice by U.S. personnel (including CIA officials) pending the release of a revised manual on interrogation procedures.

Yay!

Still, that's terrible.

[Ergot]

I think it's one of those uhh... allowed forms of torture...

[iago]

Incidentally, the reason I read up on it is because a CIA member critisized waterboarding, saying, 'Waterboarding is Torture and Torture is Wrong.', and was fired for saying so.  Or that's my understanding from the /. article, anyways.  Even if the article is wrong, the fact that waterboarding is still being used is horrible. 

[CrAz3D]

The asphyxiation part seems mean, but otherwise...if you're shooting at me I don't really care if somebody tortures you or whatnot.  I guess I'd approve of mental torture instead of physical/painful/damaging torture

[Blaze]

I guess I'd approve of mental torture instead of physical/painful/damaging torture

I don't know if that's worse, but it sounds it.

[Newby]

This doesn't sound bad. Heh. I'd like to undergo it just so I could truly understand how awful it is.

[iago]

The asphyxiation part seems mean, but otherwise...if you're shooting at me I don't really care if somebody tortures you or whatnot.  I guess I'd approve of mental torture instead of physical/painful/damaging torture

Are you talking about torturing people for the sole purpose of making them suffer?  If you are, you have problems. 

The reason for torture is usually to get information, but like I said that doesn't work. 

And incidentally, they aren't just shooting at you, they're shooting BACK at you.  There's a huge difference.  I wouldn't want to be captured and tortured for trying to defend my home...

[trust]

I have no problem with this, the instinct of the prisoner would be to tell the truth and not waste time to fabricate a lie. If they weren't terrorists they wouldn't be in that pridicament in the first place, it's their fault.

[Warrior]

I'm against this as well. This is torture and it should not be allowed. What the fuck is wrong with the CIA.

[iago]

I have no problem with this, the instinct of the prisoner would be to tell the truth and not waste time to fabricate a lie. If they weren't terrorists they wouldn't be in that pridicament in the first place, it's their fault.

If your country is invaded, and you're tortured, then I think you'd see it differently.  It's always better to be the one doing the torturing, it seems. 

And I disagree, if I was afraid for my life and they asked me if xxx was a terrorist, I'd say yes just to make them stop.  If they asked me to name all the terrorists I know, and I only knew 1 or 2, then I'd start naming everybody I could, just to stop them from torturing me. 

My instinct would be to name names as fast as I could, without regard to whether or not it's true and not waste time trying to remember the names of every terrorist.

Keep in mind that all it takes is a SINGLE mistake made by somebody being tortured (and I think we can agree that they're under some duress), and suddenly innocent people are being forced to name names that they probably don't even know. 

And to say that it's their fault, I have a huge problem with.  If my country was invaded and my way of life destroyed, I'd do everything in my power to get rid of the occupying force.  Would that be my fault?  No.  I blame the government that destroyed my country.  It's like blaming a dog for biting a buglar. 

[CrAz3D]

The asphyxiation part seems mean, but otherwise...if you're shooting at me I don't really care if somebody tortures you or whatnot.  I guess I'd approve of mental torture instead of physical/painful/damaging torture

Are you talking about torturing people for the sole purpose of making them suffer?  If you are, you have problems. 
The reason for torture is usually to get information, but like I said that doesn't work. 

Not just to make them suffer (although, that might provide a release of stress & anger), but to get information from them.

I have no problem with this, the instinct of the prisoner would be to tell the truth and not waste time to fabricate a lie. If they weren't terrorists they wouldn't be in that pridicament in the first place, it's their fault.

If your country is invaded, and you're tortured, then I think you'd see it differently.  It's always better to be the one doing the torturing, it seems. 

Duh, who would want to be tortured?

Keep in mind that all it takes is a SINGLE mistake made by somebody being tortured (and I think we can agree that they're under some duress), and suddenly innocent people are being forced to name names that they probably don't even know. 

That's just your take on this issue.
I can see people being tortured making up names...but I can also see the investigators check out those named people & if there aren't any matches or anything then I can see the terrorist being tortured again.  If he doesn't talk at all, well, his problem...don't be a terrorist.

And to say that it's their fault, I have a huge problem with.  If my country was invaded and my way of life destroyed, I'd do everything in my power to get rid of the occupying force.  Would that be my fault?  No.  I blame the government that destroyed my country.  It's like blaming a dog for biting a buglar. 

1) It isnt their country...terrorists dont have countries...they travel internationally and belong to their organization & religion, not any country.  Al Qaeda?...they like throughout the mid east, not any single country though.
Furthermore, if you attack the strongest country in the world it only makes sense that we'd go find them since the country they are living in won't turn them over.

Terrorists were the original instigators of conflict.  SO, by that (obviously), they are the burglars.  They sneak in & hurt us, we retaliate...its instinct, its nature, its justice.

[Warrior]

Bottom line: Torture isn't a method we should be using to extract information. It's defined as a cruel and unusual punishment in the United States Constitution.

[CrAz3D]

Bottom line: Torture isn't a method we should be using to extract information. It's defined as a cruel and unusual punishment in the United States Constitution.

yeah...but there are exceptions to every rule ... at least so far there have been

[Warrior]

Bottom line: Torture isn't a method we should be using to extract information. It's defined as a cruel and unusual punishment in the United States Constitution.

yeah...but there are exceptions to every rule ... at least so far there have been

Oh so there is an exception to denying the rights guaranteed by the constitution so long as you are tried under the united states courts? Nice. It's great to see that the US government is willing to deny the rights it promised to people and resort to the torture and tyranny seen in Britain.