Yale Daily News

I believe the canard the "torture doesn't work" should be put to rest. Regardless of your position on this topic, one should at least stick to the facts. The facts are, torture does work. It apparently worked in this case. It has worked throughout history. One may abhor it moral grounds, but lets stick to facts..please.

#1, torture does not work, in the sense that coercive interrogation techniques that are not torture (e.g., waterboarding, sleep deprivation, etc.) are extremely effective at getting information, and actual torture (meaning inflicting of intense physical pain) is almost never necessary. Of course, if one takes the overbroad view of the term as the author does, and include even things like waterboarding as torture, then I would have to agree with you.

By claiming torture doesn't produce useful information (which is demonstrable a false assertion, it clearly worked in Algiers in the 1960's), you can claim the moral high ground and avoid any heavy mental lifting...grappling with the real moral dilemma..

the real issue is under what circumstances would you be morally compelled to torture someone..

how can this be! compelled to torture!!

well, assume someone has information that, if divulged, could save X innocents from certain death. At some point, the number X becomes large enough that you will be compelled to use any means necessary to obtain that information.

That's the real question. Claiming torture should be outlawed because it doesn't work is intellectually lazy and dishonest. It avoids unpleasant facts and reality.

The "alleged mastermind" of the 9/11 attacks?

Here's what Khalid Sheikh Mohammed testified on March 10, 2007:

"I was responsible for the 9/11 operation, from A to Z."

He also testified that he was responsible for the 1993 WTC bombing and had personally beheaded Daniel Pearl.

Waterboarding and sleep deprivation are definitely torture.

Heartsurgeon, the facts are that torture produces more false information than real information. This is a position supported by General Petraus. After being tortured Senator McCain admitted to being a "war criminal". Is he one?

You claim "facts" support that torture obtains useful information. This is true to an extent. But your conclusion supposes that one never obtains information unless torture is used. The facts are that useful information is obtained at similar rates using and not using torture as an interrogation method. Thus, the question is not really moral but practical. Why torture when the results are similar?