Americans voted for Change

[KrazyHorse]

No. He was trained in signal intercept and then spent a bit of time up on the dewline.

[Drake Tungsten]

The US position has always been that its use against American soldiers by anybody other than the US government in a training setting constitutes torture.

I agree with that position.

I don't. Seems pretty hypocritical.

[TCO]

Waterboarding is fricking torture. The water runs down your nose. It's intentional pain infliction. Someone doesn't have to kill or disfigure you for it to be torture. electricity is same way.

[Drake Tungsten]

As far as I know, waterboarding doesn't actually hurt, unlike electric shocks.

[GePap]

Torture is not only about the application of direct physical pain - that is a dumb ass definition, and why something like sleep deprivation can reach the level of torture.

Simulating drowning may not "hurt" but it causes extreme discomfort, given the bodies general dislike of being unable to breathe.

If we imprisones or executed people in the past for waterboarding our troops, then its pretty clear that waterboarding was considered torture, and I doubt anything has changed with the procedure to make it not torture.

[Drake Tungsten]

Torture is not only about the application of direct physical pain

I never said it was. Jesus, why did you have to be the one boring poster that didn't flee to WPC?

[SpencerH]

Sleep deprivation can rise to the level of 'torture'? Based on that comment, I'll ask what interrogation methods could not be construed as torture?

The whole purpose of military interrogation is to recover timely information. That objective cannot be met by the methods commonly used today to question criminals (for example). These 'men' despise us, they are not going to be turned, they are not going to provide any timely information just because we ask. Therefore, unless one is willing to forego gathering timely information from a subject one has to use stress in order to coerce them to speak. The question for me is not simply what methods should be used but who should be interrogated and for how long after their capture should they be subject to more severe methods?

For example should we waterboard a low ranking taliban picked up on the battlefield? What would be the point? Similarly, there is no point to waterboarding a high ranking terrorist who's been in our custody for years but there is a point if you think the bastard has just planted a bomb.

[curtsibling]

Truth-inducing drugs are the answer, and to hell with laws about it.

[SpencerH]

"Truth serum" is a bit of a misnomer but I'd be surprised if they hadnt been used. If they have, and when it becomes known, there will be the same outcry against them.

[Theben]

I miss the old Drake.

[SpencerH]

You have a fondness for ducks?

[TCO]

Sleep deprivation is certainly torture. And so is water boarding. Anyone who doubts it. Let me waterboard your mama. I'm serious. I will terrorize that beeyatch. Make her insane.

[Drake Tungsten]

I was setting off your mom's gag reflex last night.

[TCO]

I screwed your mom while she was pregnant with you. That's why you have my dickprints on your forehead.

[Drake Tungsten]

Is that what those tiny little marks are? I thought they were pores...