Waterboarding

I just found this cool video that really helps to understanding the debate about torture:




Do I think this is torture? I think it definitely borders upon it! As for people who will make up confessions to get out of being tortured, well, the people the CIA is doing this to are known terrorists, not innocents picked up by mistake. Well, some might be. I might as well admit that it is possible that some terrorists might have placed the weapon into the suspects innocent hands, and forced him to pull the trigger. Or these people, like Khaled Sheikh Mohammed, might have just been framed. It is remotely possible.

The unfortunate reality is that these guys are evil and have information that the military can use so that peoples lives can be saved. Is this torture? I think it worse torture listening to people try to make a clear line beyond which is torture! Once there is a clear line, then the terrorists know exactly how far the interrorgation can go and then cry for a lawyer. They will even start crying for a lawyer and making false claims before they are picked up.

Does torture produce quick answers? Yes, in the case of weak people. No, for the strong. For the strong willed it can take years. In the short term the weak have to be separated from the strong so that information can be told. Then the strong have to be made weak. Sleep deprivation and loud noises, mind games and physical discomfort will make the strong terrorist weak. Then you do this again and get the answers that are needed.

Is a confession obtained this way completely trusted? Not at all! Who would be foolish enough to trust these killers and psychotics? All the information gleaned this way is checked and followed up. This is not just taken as a given. Duh!

Do I advocate torture? No. Would I use it if I knew the man was guilty, had the proof and needed to get information out of him quick? Yes! Terrorists, rapists, kidnappers, pedophiles are all the kind of scum that I agree that torture can be used on. If there is a child or woman missing, or an imminent attack someplace, and the interrogators know what they are looking for, do it!! Get the information as quickly as possible.

I would like to thank Al Gore's Current.TV for providing this footage. They even had a former Navy SEAL, who had been waterboarded in his training, undergo it on camera. It is good to know that the US trains it's SpecOps guys better than the terrorists do. Of course, the fact that this guy knew he could not be killed and that he was going to be done soon might have helped.