This is sad.
Torture is notoriously inaccurate and fallible.... you torment someone long enough they will tell you whatever they think you want to hear, or they build a resistence to the treatment. Whether right or wrong by whatever justification you care to name....... and I'm a big believer in the
DIS-proportional response, but I'm against torture for the most part....... the real fact is that torture is largely inefficient and ineffective in addition to being a public relations and political nightmare.
In a word: It's stupid.
Mechanical interrogation and the pharmacopeia have come such a LONG way since sodium pentathol (sodium thiopental), thiopental, thiopentone sodium, or trapanal........ that combined with a controlled environment, the power of suggestion, a polygraph machine and a capable operator, some time (which they have) and a well thought out interrogation plan, you should be able to find out whatever a subject knows.
There is still a risk to the subject's health, depending on the drugs used and their health to begin with...most notedly would probably be heart problems....maybe respiratory as well..... but it's not anywhere on the level like "water boarding". Probably a bit more expensive as well.... but chump change as compared to information that can be gathered. And far more effective and reliable. You work on the subject's mind instead of their body.
Only thing I can think of is either the people in charge, or the ones conducting the torture, LIKE to do it. They are getting in touch with their inner-nazi. Nero is running the store once more.
(The same people that decided accusing a Canadian citizen, Maher Arar, of being a terrorists with no supporting evidence (just kneejerk inuendo), seizing him as he passed through the U.S., questioning him for 12 days, deporting him to Syria (this is a Canadian citizen here) to be tortured for 10 months, and leaving it up to Canada to spring him after their mistake becomes clear, and still claiming that "the U.S. did the right thing". Fear your government lads! ) Are there situations that may require it? Sure, there are usually exceptions to any rule, but I don't see a need to codify it into law. I need to know where the bomb with the 10 minute timer is from the guy who just planted it, I'll shoot him in the knee just to get his undivided attention for starters..... I don't need a law to give me permission.... I'll take my chances later if I survive the bomb.
