Is the waterboard an applicable torture technique?

Question

I have read answers to questions similar to this one and people seem to have strong opinions even to as whether this is really torture or not. I believe that those who have never experienced it, cannot answer viably. I have experienced the waterboard firsthand and will give you my opinion after I've received yours.

I was given the "waterboard" during SERE training during the Vietnam War. This was done so I would know what I would face if I got shot down and captured. The rationale being that if I knew what was going to happen to me in advance, I wouldn't be afraid and might be able to hold out longer. After about 30 seconds of water getting in my lungs, slowly drowning, and thinking I was going to die, they let me off, and asked me to read some propaganda about me being a war criminal and having committed atrocities against the country of North Vietnam. I told them that I would read it twice if they wanted. Since the rest of the men saw that I was tortured, my reading of the script had no validity as far as propoganda (they didn't make me read it). I do believe that this form of torture should only be used in the case of an imminent attack and should not be used on an arbitrary basis (which has been done). Best answer coming up...

Answer 1

I'm sick and tired of this debate. Waterboarding doesn't do any physical damage. That means it's not torture in my book. Maybe we just ought to cut their freakin' heads off like they do to our guys? Only let's do it with chainsaws! No 72 virgins for you, Abdul! Just an eternity wandering around with your head in your hands! That'd serve the terrorist bastards right! And don't tell me it wouldn't work, either. My grandfather's commanding officer Gen. John "Blackjack" Pershing, put down a Muslim rebellion in the Philippines in the first decade of the 20th century by refusing to return rebels' bodies to the families for burial. Instead, he cut their heads off and buried them in pig excrement. No paradise for them! The rebellion collapsed in short order. We need to stop going on guilt trips about waterboarding and treat these animals like they'd treat us: Kill 'em all, and let God sort 'em out!

Answer 2

Well, since I have never been interrogated by the use of waterboarding, I can say this, and this is my opinion.
Yes, the CIA may have used this technique to obtain information from known terrorist suspects, suspects who admitted to being involved or helped plan terrorist attacks. Weather this is torture or not is going to be debated forever. I personally believe that it was used as a necessary evil with saving lives and stopping attacks is the main goal. So, we use this technique to gather information on possible attacks and in site into their terrorist organization. The information obtained is used to stop and arrest suspects.

On the flip side, it is not used. Plots are carried out and more lives are lost. Now the people are upset and angry at the Government for "allowing" this to happen and not doing anything to stop the attacks. Security and policy now comes into question.
Waterboarding is used and now people are in an up-roar about this "torture" being used against people.
this subject is a double edged sword.

Regardless of what happens, not everyone will be pleased.

Answer 3

Of course waterboarding is a form of torture. Sure. But so is listening to loud rap music for hours on end.

The question is not whether waterboarding is torture or not, but rather should it be allowed under extreme circumstances where the captive is a known terrorist who is concealing information that could save the lives of hundreds of innocent people?

Waterboard may be useful, but it should be used only on rare occasions. It should be done only when timing is critical and medical supervision can ensure the health of the captive. When it is used it should be done covertly and without the supervision of the mass media.

Answer 4

You're right. Those who haven't experienced it can't really give anything but opinion.

There are many methods of inflicting torture. I believe waterboarding is one of them. But, just as in an operation, one would be incorrect to refer to sedating the patient as "the operation," or the incision as "the operation," or the removal of an organ "the operation," or even the sutures. These are different steps in the operation, but none of them alone is "the operation."

But to call any one of those means "torture" is to misunderstand the meaning of the word in context.

Torture (as properly used in context) does not stop until the prisoner is broken. It does not stop when the prisoner is uncomfortable. It doesn't stop when the prisoner is frightened. It does not stop when the prisoner is in fear of his life. It does not stop when the prisoner cries, or begs. It does not stop when the prisoner tells you everything he thinks you want to know. It does not stop when the prisoner loses control of his bodily functions. And it does not stop at the end of the "demonstration" or "experiment."

Questions are not asked during torture. People involved in torturing have an end in sight. Anything you say or do before that end is reached is of no interest to them.

To say "waterboarding is torture" is incorrect. To say "pulling ones fingernails out is torture" is also incorrect. To allow somebody to go through the agony of death by some venom, but prevent that death so they can go through it again, similarly is not torture.

I don't care what the dictionary says. I don't care what the Geneva Conventions say. I have absolutely no interest in some psychologist or psychiatrist has to say on the matter. Ive seen experts at work. I'll tell you it works... most of the time. Some seem impervious. Others die. But those who break are invaluable assets.

Answer 5

It's a coercive interrogation technique, not unlike prolonged kneeling and exposure to loud music. I went through it at the old time Air Force SERE school at Numazu Japan in the mid-1960s.

Answer 6

You need to ask yourself one question is the water boarding of a terrorist which lasted only 35 SECONDS more important than the lives of countless US civilians. Why is the welfare of a terrorist of more concern to liberals than fellow US civilian lives. What if it was a liberals relative who got killed by a terrorist all because the US is to wimpy to water board a terrorist, THEY survive 35 seconds of it, THEIR victims do not survive. FACT it took 35 seconds for a top Al Q aide to Osama to crack, whats the problem, I do not have a problem with it at all. Imagine if one of the 9/11 hjiackers had been taken before 9/11 and the only way to foil the plot was to water board him, would you say that it was justified to save 3,000 US (and some other nationalities) lives I KNOW I would say its fine.

Answer 7

If it gets information that can be used to save American lives, it should be used as much as possible. I've watched a Fox News report when one of their reporters got waterboarded. He was willing to talk in less than 30 seconds. That proves its effectiveness.

Answer 8

Wonder why you would have expereiced this?
Here is another answer taken from recent news;

. Bubba Bechtel, a part-time City Councilman from Midland , TX , was asked on a local live radio talk show the other day just what he thought of the allegations of torture of the Iraqi prisoners. His reply prompted his ejection from the studio, but to thunderous applause from the audience.

"If hooking up an Iraqi prisoner's balls to a car's battery cables will save one Texas GI's life, then I have just two things to say":
"Red is positive"
"Black is negative"

Answer 9

you're right, i've no idea wether it's torture or not...but let me say that if torture will get you information that saves American lives, then so be it...we are so naive in this country to believe that war has rules...if we had one of the 19 terrorists from 9/11 in custody on 9/10, should we have tortured him and averted 9/11 ??????????????????????????? i ask the aclu to answer that...

Answer 10

It's gonna be hard to convince me that forcing a CRIMINAL into having the sensation of drowning is torture.

In fact, it's gonna be impossible to convince me of that, especially when it's said to work.