This week, the CIA released their 2004 inspector general’s report revealing the full extent of harsh methods used on terror suspects. The report found that CIA investigators routinely staged mock executions, and used power drills, guns, and waterboarding techniques to extract information from the detainees.
These “enhanced interrogation techniques” have caused moral, ethic and legal debates across the country. President Obama has gone so far as to call some of these techniques “torture”. As the debate rages on, many feel is boils down to one question, “Did the harsh methods like waterboarding cause terrorist suspects to give up valuable information?” Like so many things in Washington, it depends on who you ask.
The program’s defenders, most notably former Vice President Dick Cheney have long claimed that the detainees broke down under the coercive techniques and gave up crucial tips. The information they provided helped foil imminent terrorist plots against the United States, and thus saved American lives. One the other hand, the inspector general’s report says it “did not uncover any evidence that these plots were imminent.” The report also raises the fundamental questions of whether the interrogators needed to use enhanced techniques at all. The report states that at least in some instances, they were used “without justification.”
So my question to you this week is, “What do you think of the ‘torture’ debate? Should the United States engage in these practices if it means keeping us safe?” Answers are due no later than Monday, August 31st, 2009.
I think that they do not need to torture other people in order to get information from them. I feel like using other less harsh tactics they could have gotten the same information and still save American lives.
ReplyDeleteIt does not matter they still have better health care than we do.lol...but seriously I really feel that there are better ways of extracting information. Torture to anyone is wrong, but I think the real issue is more so about the government allowing these sort of tactics as exceptable. So my answer is no...i don't think these are exceptable tactics...think about terrorist doing this to our soldiers. thats when you relize that they are just people fighting for what they believe is the greater good.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kelsey and Dean. It is not acceptable because there are other ways to get information without being a Tarentino movie. Torturing is ridiculous, no matter what. It's the government, aren't they supposed to be "smart??" They should be "smart" enough to figure out other ways to get information. Maybe I would change my mind if I were there, but I'm not.
ReplyDelete--Kristen Rice
I think there is a fine line between torture and interrogation. It depends on the circumstances. Say for instance we knew someone was going to bomb a major city in the U.S. we just didn't know where or when. We have a few conspirators with pictures of the bomb and they say its going to happen sometime later that day. Well time is of the essence and we want to do anything possible to save a few million people. I would definitely "intensely interrogate" someone in that situation and hope that our government would to. Now if its just something like trying to get info on where a wanted terrorist is then no I don't think excessive force is necessary. Like i said, it depends.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dean in the fact that they are just fighting for what they believe, but at the same time, we as Americans don't necessarily set out to "terrorize" other countries. I would like to believe that we are defending as opposed to offending.
ReplyDeleteI have to say though, we will probably never know whether this method is truly effective, but if I were in the position of the one being tortured, most likely I would say anything to stop the torture. So who's to say that even if they "talk" they are telling accurate information?
First of all, I feel that one needs to know where to draw the line when it comes to crossing the line between interrogation and torture. I agree with Micheal's point that it's a fine line situation; caught in a rock and a hard place, you name it. It raises questions like: What method is necessary? What's not necessary? Are your prisoners lying? I feel that torture is wrong and I don't like it. The U.S should'nt engage in it; we should stiffen our restrictions more and more with all the technology we have, and develope when allowing anyone to enter our country, for what ever reason; since we're the most envied, and hated country on the planet. It's just the way we have to live in these days, and time.
ReplyDeleteI agree that torture of any kind is wrong. I feel that the U.S. can find better ways to get information across besides torture. Torture, of any kind should not be practiced.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Michael. In my opinion intense interrogation is necessary to get out fast and effective information that could potentially save the lives of others...whether thats one person (what society has deemed as important- maybe a vice president or even a commoner; those of us under the governmental ladder; everyday people) it doestn' matter. As long as the members of the CIA are able to crack down on a situation without too much damage would be ideal. There are smaller issues that shouldn't demand as much interrogation and could be handled properly. I, like most people feel that the least amount of torture should be practiced more often without shiny weapons and verbal abuse, if you will.
ReplyDeleteDean is funny. haha. Anyways, I don't know how i feel about this. When I think about the people they are torturing and why they are doing it I am like ehh okay maybe; but then when I think about the fact that they are "torturing" a human being I am like no, stop. I started to say if it is really benefiting us then I suppose its okay, but I can't bring myself to say that I am okay with America torturing anyone.
ReplyDelete-Casey Frederick
I don't have any problem with the CIA torturing TERRORIST SUSPECTS for information. If we don't torture them they will never speak. Obviously torturing worked because we haven't had another terrorist attack since we started doing it. They were torturing people that would have been next in line, or were next in line, to fly another plane into a building, blow up a subway, and kill innocent Americans. I have no problem living in a country that tortures these types of people. GO USA
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I feel like torture might be necessary in some cases, but not most. Torture is usually extreme, so I don't know. I don't think anyone actually deserves the torture.
ReplyDelete-Heather R. Davis
My answer to this is no. It comes back to the question of Dr. Mengele who "experimented" on all the Jewish and Gypsy people during WWII. Do we justify the inhuman torture of thousands of people just so that we can say we gained ground in medical practices or Phychology?
ReplyDeleteWhere is the line drawn? To me, you can not justify killing one person or thousands for gaining information that MIGHT lead to stopping a terrorist attack. I can not justify saying that if it were to save my life, that I would allow another individual to suffer.
There has to be a better way to extract information than through the use of torture. People can be manipulative, I am sure they can manipulate the information from the person they are interrogating without it resulting in torture.
I don't think we should torture anyone. I think that is wrong. The United States can figure out ways to get information out of people in less harsh ways. There are ways of getting information out of people without hurting anyone.
ReplyDeleteI don't think torture is a good idea because I can imagine that there have been instances when a person does not have information. They are then tortured because it may be believed they are withholding information. I also think that a confession through torture may not be relevent because after a period of time they would tell the torturer any information they want to hear.I also think that by training people to torture we are in fact adding a new level of torture and taking away a piece of their humanity.
ReplyDeleteWell, since we have to obtain this information somehow I think that in certain instances torture might be the only way to get the information we want and if it saves Americans lives then go for it!
ReplyDeleteI think all countries do this with their enemies, we just got caught by the media and they played it up enough to get a response. Two weeks after 911 and people would have been standing in line to help at Guantanamo. Its an unfortunate circumstance of war. I don't agree with it, but I am sure that alot of people don't agree with lots of things the government does, still they have a job to do to to protect those of us that want the freedoms we have. So I'm sure "interrogation" will continue, it'll just be done more discreetly.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that we should lower ourselves to torturing the terrorist. It shows that we have little faith in our country. If we lower ourselves to torturing then how are we different from any other country. We try to put out the image of greater good and new chances and changes for whoever comes here, but then we will go around torturing terrorist.
ReplyDeleteWho determines who a terrorist is or how far their punishment will go until they give information out? Where do we draw the line to where enough is enough or too much at that? We rely on the United States to protect us, but did we also sign up for them to kill and torture innocent people?
When will our government decide that what we need now is peace than more violence with other countries? Torturing people will only cause more wars and more hate within the entire world. So who will draw the line to stop it all? Why should we make people suffer, if we don’t know who is terrorist and who is innocent?
I do not believe torture should be used to extract information. I don't understand how another human being can inflict such excruciating pain to another human being. It's just sheer cruelty. Just because this person is not American does not mean they should be treated any less humane.
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings regarding torture. My first instinct that it is wrong and the United States Constitution established that we could not be a nation to exhibit cruel and unusual punishment. After 9/11, I was very angry and thought that if torture would get terrorists to open up in order to keep our country safe then so be it. My brother who is serving in Iraq really inspired me to take a harder look at the issue and to realize that it isn't simply black and white. We cannot be a nation that wants it both ways, we say we support human rights but in the same instance I am sure we are probably somewhere torturing someone in order to extract information. Human rights are extended to all humans, not just Americans.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of them being terrorists, they are human beings just the same fighting for what they believe in. With this in mind I wish our government had a better way of tracking and extracting information without the use of any weapons or physical harm. In a perfect world maybe but until then we have to face the music knowing there are "groups" out there who just want to cause destruction and harm to anyone especially Americans. There are many things the government and myself dont see eye to eye on things but I feel like Irag or any other domestic foreign country would act the same way to our soldiers and kill innocent citizens. Until we have that perfect world, I feel like this is the most effective way to get any informations at all and have a better handle on terrorism.
ReplyDeleteAlicia J.
We aren't alone in the way extract the information. Other countries are more harsh and might not let the people live. So in my opinion, I think he government is doing right by getting the information. They said the threats were not imminent, but if no one said a thing about them, then they would become that way.
ReplyDeleteZAK
To me, torture depends on the case. If you have the right person, meaning, they are a terrorist, then it may work. But if you have someone that isn't a major player in the plots or isn't a terrorist, then it won't work. They can't tell you what they don't know, but if you hurt them and tell them to tell you something, then they are just going to tell you what they think you want to hear.
ReplyDeleteSo for me it depends on the person and situation.
_Nicholas Alexander
I believe that they acted correctly. I thik that Yes, we should use torture, to an extent. Think of it this way, they're not exactly going to tickle our feet to get information from us, so why should we tickle theirs? They are doing the same treatments, if not worse, to our soldiers and other prisoners they might find. We are all the time stating in this class that we need to treat everyone equal, here you go.
ReplyDeleteuntil the government leaks what could have happened without the tips, and i mean specific examples, i don't think it is right to "torture" a human being. they did this back in the salem witch trials and the "witches" were put to death no matter what. so instead of killing these people, we're just making them wish they were dead inside and out.
ReplyDelete-Josh Hollandsworth