Posted by
Red Patriot on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 12:00:00 AM
When it comes to the definition of torture to whom do we look? How narrow or broad a definition do we entertain to reach an acceptable conclusion?
According to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, it is defined:
"any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions."[2]
The Third Geneva Convention states:
(Article 17): "No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatever. Prisoners of war who refuse to answer may not be threatened, insulted or exposed to unpleasant or disadvantageous treatment of any kind."
And how does the anti-torture group expect prisoners to give the interrogators vital information if they aren’t “coerced”? Will a warm bath and 700 count sheets on a bed with a five course halal meal do the trick? It is only when we think that our lives are in danger or when we are in excruciating pain that we will do just about anything to spare ourselves. Torture is torture whether the law forbids it or not, defines it or not. These acts could be named anything else other than torture but these are proven interrogation techniques that work.
And we have to use torture on the few so that millions of US citizens can live free from torture. I have not heard of a POW being completely innocent and wrongfully tortured. If a POW is captured, they tend to carry information helpful to the other side. And if I am in error, let me know.