NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION


Torture for tortures sake should never be used. The argument that we are living in an episode of "24" with Jack Bauer and we need the information now or millions will die is probably a little far fetched. But there are alot of ways to torture a person than using physical violence. Pyschological warfare is the term we use to interrogate suspects and to mislead and confuse the enemy on the battlefield. It was labeled abuse in Abu Garib prison because they humiliated the prisoners and took photos of them. The threat of physical violence, use of sleep deprivation, food deprivation, light and noise effects, the list goes on. The problem with torture is simple. If you torture someone long enough they will tell you whatever you want to hear. It may not be true, but they will do anything to stop the pain and suffering. The other side of the coin is that if you have a no abuse policy and the bad guys know it they will never tell you anything, all you can deny them is thier freedom.

Recently in Iraq there has been a section of the new Iraqi govenment that had already set up a torture facility. The people inside had been physically abused and tortured. Did the Iraqi government get any "hot" intel that saved lives? Was it intel they could have gotten from other sources? I dont know.

I do know that we as Americans are accustomed to taking the high road, we respect the Geneva Convention even if the other side does not. We feed, clothe, and protect prisoners captured in warfare. We do not behead prisoners on televison.

We do the right thing, even when no one else is.