Water boarding... torture or not?

Question

***outa here... you know i know what you mean about our soldiers...but then I get to thinking the terrorist that capture our soldiers do they really care that they are human being? Do they really consider what is torture and what isn't? How many of them actualy treat the ppl they are holding good? I am going to guess a very few.
That is why I am so split on this.

**Croatan.. yes it is.. what i was saying is that the US has said that all ppl being held by authorities are treated well, and treated like human being. Well while the US does that.. terrorist that hold US soldier or any one else hostage.. well i just don't think they all get treated as well.. meaning that those ppl DON"T CARE about treating Soldier like human being.. those ppl tortue them, they have found soldiers in PIECES... now what human being deserves that? Especially NOT an US Soldier.
My point being that why shouldn't the us be able to use water boarding again ppl who have no repect for life, and are evil.
Does that make sense? That is why i am split on this issue.

Answer 1

Well all congress needs to do is pass a law saying that this practice is torture and it is illegal for any gov't agency to engage in it. I'm not saying there wouldn't be a court battle over it but the law would probably stand.
Now ask yourself why congress hasn't done this.

Added Later: After reading your additional details I'm a little confused about your conception of what American soldiers do in the field. From what I've read waterboarding is only used by the C.I.A. Care to clarify?

Added Again Later: Except for rare exceptions U.S. soldiers have never tortured and never should torture anyone. I think the U.S. Military would whole heartily agree with me. Maybe Military Intelligence interrogators should, but that is up to the commanding officer on the scene. I can certainly see occasions when this would be necessary.

Let me be clear. Waterboarding is a form of torture (I will not mince words) but I can see when it may be necessary.

No matter how we treat captured combatants they will still torture, mutilate, and murder our troops. I don't think anybody has died from waterboarding.

Answer 2

This debate has gone on way too long - I really don't give a damn if it's categorized as torture or not. If it succeeds in getting any valid intelligence concerning the terrorists' next tactic of indiscriminate slaughter of innocent people - I say go for it. It certainly doesn't fall into the same category as a beheading or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time when some demented radical decides to detonate his vest that he so carefully packed with lethal shrapnel.
Furthermore, it might be very admirable to consider trivial humiliation as torture along with believing that terrorists should be granted rights under the Geneva Convention or, further, given legal representation when detained - but it is not much consolation maintaining the high moral ground while more innocent men, women and children fall victims to these militants - and it's even less consolation if we lose this war because we felt that terrorists somehow don't deserve to be treated with anything but respect - just because they're allegedly human (and I use the term loosely).

Answer 3

Ok...none of the people above that condones water boarding has ever actually gone through it. I almost did drown as a teenager. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is more terrifying.

My big fear with allowing water boarding is, what if just one person is actually innocent that we water board. When someone is faced with death by drowning they will say almost anything to make it stop. If just one person admits to working with terrorists because of water boarding, but is actually innocent, then our country has become a disgrace.

I remember growing up that we could be proud that for all the negatives people around the world could say about the good old USA, we could always say that we treated enemies and prisoners like humans. If they were found guilty of a crime, we may excute them, but we would try them fairly. The US believed that sleeping with dogs would get you fleas. Unfortunately that has changed. We are no longer that shining city on a hill.

I am not for giving terrorists pancakes and forgiving all of their sins. I just think America should be an example for the world. Torture, and yes I view waterboarding as torture, should be condoned by the US. Just because our enemies are animals, doesn't mean we should be animals.

Answer 4

The United States of America, my country, my beloved country - land of the free, home of the brave....does not torture.

Until Bush came along.

Torture is fruitless and cruel. What ever confessions are made during is to stop the torture, not tell the truth.

Don't believe me? Ask Senator McCain. He was POW for 5 years where he suffered terrible torture at the hands of the North Vietnamese. Just about every bone in his body was broken, his face broken many times and other atrocities. He'll tell you, you will say anything to make the torture stop. But, he also said, nothing that was said was true....it was just what he knew they wanted to hear.

And, if anyone thinks it's perfectly fine, imagine OUR troops being subjected to torture......

Sort of changes the picture, doesn't it.

Bush is an evil madman with a secret empire of the most corrupt, un-American bunch of traitors our country has ever had. They should all be tried for high treason and imprisoned.

Answer 5

Very uncomfortable but not quite torture. If the information gained saves us from being attacked or helps us find those that attacked us a necessary evil we need to employ.

Answer 6

Why are we worried about the feelings of terrorist who see nothing wrong with blowing up children? Feed them Bacon.

Answer 7

Depends on who you ask.

In my opinion it is not torture and the Geneva convention does not, I repeat does not cover terrorists

Answer 8

Whats the big deal some people act as if we are doing it to thousands of people everyday. no it is not torture.

Answer 9

It doesn't matter because they won't use it now that the terrorists have geared up to resist it because of all the friggin press.

Answer 10

Fraternity hazing is worse