what is torture

[ QUOTE ]
Recent reports on the American ABC News network, quoting CIA sources, listed six so-called "Enhanced Interrogation Techniques."


1. Grab: the interrogator grabs a suspect's shirt front and shakes him.


2. Slap: an open-handed slap to produce fear and some pain.

3. Belly Slap: a hard slap to the stomach with an open hand. This is designed to be painful but not to cause injury. A punch is said to have been ruled out by doctors.


4. Standing: Prisoners stand for 40 hours and more, shackled to the floor. Said to be effective, it also denies them sleep and is part of a process known as sensory deprivation ( this was a technique used by British forces in Northern Ireland for a time until it was stopped).

5. Cold Cell: a prisoner is made to stand naked in a cold, though not freezing, cell and doused with water.

6. Water Boarding: the prisoner is bound to a board with feet raised, and cellophane wrapped round his head. Water is poured onto his face and is said to produce a fear of drowning which leads to a rapid demand for the suffering to end.


[/ QUOTE ] apparently, this is how we role. Thoughts? I think the issue of "tourture" is very complicated. On the one hand, it may be neccesary to save lives. on the other, it takes away our ability to play the moral high card, and it often elicits false statement, which lead to faulty intelligence. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4499528.stm this is a link to the whole article.