I'll let you decide for yourself. Watch a video demonstration: http://current.com/items/86417301_kaj_larsen_goes_waterboarding Here is another video: http://hotair.com/archives/2006/11/04/video-steve-harrigan-gets-waterboarded-on-fox/ My opinion ------------------- Any human that condones such use on another human has lost all moral values.
I think Gretna Van Douchbag should have been the test subject! Depends on the arena and the importance of the information required. Lets say you are in Bagdad and you have a guy who knows where 6 US captives are but he won’t give. I say get the garden hose. But if you want the address to Ray Ray's hold up over dealing crack to your kids then you decide. I doubt seriously this is a means of finding out who got doubles in the chow line and I wouldn’t know, but the sensitivity and nature of the information required dictates the method in obtaining said information. In the end this is not torture, this is intimidation and when all is said and done the subject has dirty shorts and a wet head and a very tiny ego!
That's another question. There may be circumstances where covert operatives perhaps must resort to torture. What is absurd is to maintain that waterboarding is NOT torture and that we have an overt, legal right to use it on our enemies. It's not only absurd, but it's un-American and puts our own troops in more danger. for our enemies will surely use this to justify torturing US captives. If it is denied by the Geneva Convention, we must abide by that. It is important to our own future. The first rule of POW's is that you treat prisoners the way you expect your own prisoners to be treated.
I could not agree with you any more. I have lived and performed by the rules of engagement for far more then most would want and I can rest assure you the techniques utilized by today’s combatants are those which have been tested for centuries by those responsible for the Geneva Convention and those who choose to ignore it or by simply not recognizing it at all. Torture is defined by the Geneva Convention as a method or technique which causes bodily harm and or death to obtain the purpose of interrogation. From what I can see or have seen it is my opinion that Waterboarding is not used to provoke bodily harm, rather it is used to provoke intimidation, ridicule and fear. Example; a favorite technique employed by Navy Seals is to strip a blindfolded man naked and simply laugh and yell at the captive. Over time ridicule followed with fear often achieve the desired result. Trust me when I say given today’s desired techniques typically involve no harm, rather a manner in which the objective is achieved without harm. I do believe that the use of physical torture (bodily harm) is used by those with bad and aggressive intentions. Heat of battle brings out the worst in ones soul regardless of beliefs and foundations. I do not condone it, have prevented it, and I have collective ability to obtain what is necessary without breaking those codes, despite being witness to the actions of those combatants who choose against my morals.
I also agree with Cajun. I have also been in what appears to be the same type of situation where I've had to restrain/prevent members of my platoon from doing something they would later regret. Bottom line is it's effective (water boarding) and is not injury causing. The wackos from the left don't understand that you can't coddle and hug these people and expect them to just turn over all the goods. A previous poster made refrence to the point that "they aren't using it to get ray ray's crack house location" the problem is, that is exactly what the left is trying to make everyone belive. That this is a practice used by every PD in the nation to turn up everything from rapist to jaywalkers. Wake up America.
I still respectfully disagree. This premise you bring up is no more accurate than saying the death penalty deters crime. Just because you torture someone doesn't mean you will get any information that is accurate or even usable.
If they are already "willing" to die for their cause, do you think shining a bright light in their face and asking the same quesions over and over will get anything from them but a chuckle? Sad to say but their dicipline and dedication to their cause is stronger than any of us would want to either admit or understand. If it (WB) is not causing bodily harm and it's getting results then I see no problem with it. Do we get some info that is not accurate, of course we do. We would get that with any means of interrogation. It's like collateral damage, it's expected and factored in. Just recently their was a raid conducted in iraq and they found the blueprints to over 100 schools in America, some of them elementary schools. It absolutely baffels me that anyone could have 1 shred of remorse or compation for these monsters.
Not true. You'll probably claim this guy is just making this stuff up. You can call it torture, but is a necessity at times. Just one question for you. If someone held your family hostage, would you be ok with torture if it may help save their lives or would you prefer more humane treatment, even it it meant your family may die? We don't need to run around torturing everyone, but to say it should never be used is unwise.
I never said I would never do this. I simply asked if you think it is torture. And it is a moral issue. If you are willing to break that be ready for them to be broken towards you as well because now you are no more as good as your enemy.
