Bush Administration wants to keep torture secret

[sethsez]

I already addressed this. If torture is ineffective, then we shouldn't take prisoners. They are a waste of money if they don't provide information.

There are other interrogation techniques that exist to make prisoners want to give us information. It's essentially brainwashing, yes, but unlike torture it gives us far more accurate information. Even ignoring the human rights issues, there's no reason to use torture over other, more proven and effective interrogation techniques if getting accurate information is your ultimate goal.

[Yoshi]

I'll buy that. I also agree that there isn't much difference from a human rights perspective though.

[g0zen]

The problem with torturing these people is that if you do that, and it turns out that they really weren't guilty of anything (which we already know has happened more often than not) then what do you do with them? Let them out onto the street with a "You were just the wrong color at the wrong place at the wrong time. Sorry we corkscrewed your genitals"? This only fuels the anti-American sentiment overseas in the Muslim world, provides the best PR the radicals could ever ask for in terms of recruitment, and actually costs more American lives than saves. The only other option is to hold them illegally, indefinitely, and essentially make them the 'disappeared'. Which has roughly the same effect, especially when the truth surfaces (which it invariably always does).

[sethsez]

The sole reason to use torture is, essentially, to force a confession out of someone. Do this enough times and you can claim to have a full-on menagerie of terrorists, criminals and general ne'er-do-wells in your custody, because hey, they confessed! It's a particularly heinous way to boost statistics and make it look like more progress is being made than is actually happening. If you just want to punish someone then torture will get the job done, but if you want to get the right person it's a shitty, useless tactic that reflects poorly on us, lowers our moral clout with the rest of the world and gives us absolutely no tangible benefits.

It is, in short, a complete and utter waste of time, funding and manpower.

[g0zen]

Well sure you can torture someone into admitting anything, but thankfully we still have human rights advocates and defense lawyers who make vociferous demands that evidence be produced to support the charges and the confessions. When that evaporates, as it has so many times now, the accused have to be released. Unfortunately, what this article brings up is that instead of strengthening the defense and evidence gathering process, the administration would rather just get rid of all that pesky 'rule of law' crap and use the Soviet system of jurisprudence. You know, the same system that Bush's father and their shared role model Reagan claimed was inhuman (and were actually right about, for once).

[Melf]

The U.S. hasn't had any moral ground to stand on in regards to democracy and spreading "freedom" in the longest time. Just ask the half dozen territories it refuses to address.

Hypocracy at its finest.

[Yoshi]

Quiet, "territorian." No freedom for you.

[Melf]

Same as it ever was.

[Yoshi]

If it makes you feel better, I'd love to trade Californians' rights for Puerto Ricans'.

[Mman]

Essentially this war on terrorism isn't so much a war against any individuals or groups, but an ideology. Torture makes sense if it can prevent individual terrorist attacks. However, to be used in a broad scope manner the way certain people would like isn't going to do that, and only works to marginalize any actual real information that comes out. This war requires an entire different tactical approach if any actual positive results are ever going to be possible. The reality is the war on terrorism is a battle of PR. The terrorist seem to know this very well. The US using torture only helps them in their recruitment and spreading their world view. America very much needs to remain on the moral highground if we ever want stabilization in Iraq. We seem to be losing momentum in this ground though, leading to a worse and worse situation for our soldiers as moderate Iraqis become less and less popular.