Should it be legal to use waterboarding to interrogate suspected terrorists?
Stupid terrorist need punishment
They commited the crime they do the time. The effects of waterboarding are much less severe than if someone were to physically torture somebody. Also, vital information will be obtained. Why should individuals get off the hook despite the inhumane acts they previously engaged in. They should not be given any humane treatment.
Posted by: AnonymousI agree with waterboarding use as an interrogation method for terrorist suspects because it gets a response quick.
Waterboarding can be torturous, but if it is overseen by a humanitarian group that receives no gain from overseeing and monitoring the techniques then it should be allowed. Such a group was used in the interrogations of terrorist suspects after 9/11.
Records show that it took 35 seconds to get one of the suspects to talk. This is impressive when you know what a terrorist is capable of.
With the proof that waterboarding, when done correctly, does not permanently harm the suspect, I support its use because it can save innocent lives.Posted by: SleekTomThe government should use waterboarding or anything it needs to interrogate suspected terrorists.
I believe that waterboarding or any method the government needs to use to get information out of terror suspects should be used. Their number one priority should be in keeping all Americans safe. Those who think waterboarding is a cruel act should remember what the terrorists did to us. Thousands of innocent people died, and those who don't want to use any method available to get the information to stop future attacks need to remember what an ungodly way our citizens died.
Posted by: EantDirtyThey're terrorists
If it means keeping America safer, it's worth it. No matter what you say, our nation's security and freedom should be put first in all threats; both foreign and domestic. What should we be nice to terrorists and offer them a lemon pie? No, of course not. Terrorists don't hesitate with torture, so why should we?
Posted by: Anonymousyes to waterboarding
If you can get information that otherwise doesnt seem to be forthcoming from the suspect --use it.. Apparently it proved fruitful in suspects when the whole world was trying to locate osama bin laden-what more proof do you want or need? Other methods had not been successful - this worked.
Posted by: AnonymousThey deserve it
Waterboarding terrorist can gives us very useful information. Bush waterboarded terrorist and got infromation that helped the CIA capture Osama under obama, they deserve it because they most likely killed citizens. Basically it's punishment for a terrible crime. Water boarding probably warns others to not mess with the u.S .
Posted by: AnonymousTerrorists have forfeited their rights
Those who conspire against the American people do not deserve equal treatment as those who have committed lesser crimes. Anything that can protect America should be used because the terrorists do not follow any rules. Though the US takes the moral high ground all the time, that does not mean that, occasionally, rules do not need to be bent.
Posted by: AnonymousWe're talking about suspected terrorists here.
Not your everyday people. Only those who have reason to be suspected terrorists or accomplices get waterboarded. And there's no denying that it's effective with the capturing of both Sadaam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden since 2001. Numerous of other planned attacks were also uncovered through the use of waterboarding thus saving hundreds, maybe even thousands of lives. In my opinion, with these times of tension, the use of waterboarding is 100% necessary in our country.
Posted by: AnonymousI believe that the use of waterboarding to interrogate suspected terrorists should be legal. As long as they are certain that the suspected terrorist has information they need.
I believe that the use of waterboarding to interrogate suspected terrorists should be legal as long as there is a lot of hard evidence against him. Although mentally trying, waterboarding does not actually cause any physical harm and has been proven to be an effective means of getting information while leaving the recipient unharmed after the event.
Posted by: ExcitedRonaldWater boarding should be legal when interrogating suspected terrorists because they are dangerous are trying to hurt innocent people.
Water boarding should be legal when interrogating suspected terrorists because terrorists are dangerous and we need to protect the greater good. If we have to inconvenience a handful of terrorists to save possibly thousands of innocent lives then we should do it. All governments have a responsibility to keep their citizens safe and they should do what they need to do to accomplish that goal.
Posted by: Ch3IGodThe needs of many outweigh the needs of few.
If there is even a slight possibility that waterboarding this person will save lives any lives it should be used. It doesn't leave many permanent problems, such as many as whipping or gouging their eye out, or cutting a limb or finger off which are forms of torture used by terrorists.
Posted by: AnonymousI do believe that waterboarding should be allowed to interrogate suspected terrorists, because most of these people have no regard for human life, and we must get information out of them for our nation's safety.
In the world, there are so many terrorists that are not only angry at America, but other countries as well. They have no regard for human life in the acts that they commit, and don't value their own lives. And, in many ways, we need information that they hold to keep the world safe as a whole.
Posted by: R43GallaI do not fully condone torture, but I do believe a certain level of fear must be obtained before a die-hard fundamentalist will give up any information.
I believe the world has become a little too soft when dealing with extreme fundamentalist beliefs and actions. These men are taught, as are our soldiers, to withstand interrogations and to give no information at all costs. When a suspect is literally caught in the act of terrorist activity then I most certainly condone certain amounts of torture to attain information related to leaders, other active cells or factions, and the knowledge of planned future attacks. As long as the extreme fundamentalists of this world know that there is nothing to fear in an American interrogation room, the terrorist activities of the world will continue unhindered.
Posted by: BrianDjIf it saves lives, then do it.
What you people are forgetting is that these terrorist who we capture we know they are that exact thing. Once CIA has them in custody they are no longer citizens to the US. They have no rights. They will do whatever they can to harm America that is why they are called terrorist foreign and domestic. Yes we dropped two nukes on Japan but did you also forget about the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor? What if you have a terrorist that had your mother or father or brother held up hostage. He won’t tell you where they are because he doesn't care if he lives or dies just as long as he is terrorizing your life. The only way to make him talk is by waterboarding because you can’t kill him or else the other people are going to die because you have no idea where to find them. So you waterboard him he gives you the information you needed and you put him in prison because he’s a terrorist. What do you know your family member is saved and you didn’t cause any harm physical or mental to the terrorist. Now imagine that in a larger scale how helpful that could be.
Posted by: AnonymousBecause it shouldn't be claimed as a form of Torture.
Waterboarding is not used to inflict pain. Waterboarding is used to get answers that would help America. Waterboarding is not a punishment like the electic chair, it's used to get answers. His I would consider the best interrogation technique because if scaries people more then anything. IF you think that you are going to drown then you will speak.
Posted by: AnonymousI believe using waterboarding as an interrogation technique should be forbidden due to the harshness of it.
Waterboarding and torturing in general should not be used as interrogation techniques. They are cruel and haven't proved to be effective. I believe that abuse of our prisoners only inflames sensitive relationships, and I also don't believe that it does anything except perhaps bring about false information. We can't resort to the brutality and animal-like behavior that we see other countries taking part in. It is not effective and it is not humane.
Posted by: SilentIgnacioFor the greater good that it can accomplish, I believe that waterboarding of suspected terrorists is sometimes necessary.
Although using waterboarding as a means to extract information from suspected terrorists should only be used in extreme cases, I believe that if it gains information that saves lives, then it is justified. Terrorists have no regard for human life, and sometimes we need to get information from them by using torture. This is the only thing that some of them understand.
Posted by: R0d0FerdyFor Sure, it DOES work.
"What if they're innocent" That's a risk we all have to take. How many innocent people had been sentenced to death penalty and been in jail for a LONG period for things they didn't do? A good amount. That doesn't mean we are going to stop putting people into jail or ban death penalty, it just means we'll have to be more careful while doing investigation about each case.
Posted by: AnonymousYes, because terrorists should not be subject to the Geneva Convention.
Traditional warfare has rules, and terrorists do not abide by these rules in planning and executing their attacks. While some feel we should not lower our standards in dealing with terrorists, I believe that these people are extremists and we should be totally willing and able to utilize extreme methods of interrogation with those who are in our custody.
Posted by: EweIICistThis not a matter of whether or not it works.
They do it because it does work. The Fact is without waterboarding we would not have caught Bin Laden. Its not fair to through around untrue facts like "its not proven to work" because it does, otherwise we would not do it. This is a matter of being humane or Inhumane and, in my opinion, if it means scaring a few terrorist who are set on destroying America and killing as many as they can in the process, waterboarding is a necesary method to save American lives. These are not people these are mnsters and deserve to be treated as such. The fact that all of you are sticking up for the people that caused 9/11 and the deaths of many Americans on other Terrorism accounts truelly says alot about what kind of people you are.
Posted by: benmo421I think it should be legal to use waterboarding to interrogate suspected terrorists.
When this debate came up in my household, I actually had one of my children do it to me so I could see how it feels. While it is extremely unbearable and frightening, I think it should be used. In order to save countless people from violence caused by terrorism, sometimes it is necessary to use extreme tactics.
Posted by: giladrenTerrorists are our enemies.
Our national security should go before the well being of enemies that want nothing more than to kill innocent people. Torture can be used strategically to secure the safety of our citizens and the success of the US army in combat. The truth is that torture saves the lives of law abiding citizens.
Posted by: AnonymousOf course I do.
The fact that people say NO is sickening. I don't care if they are human like we are. They're terrorist and deserve whatever treatment they have coming to them. If it was me I wouldn't even use water I'd use pigs blood. Only sorry liberals don't support these types of interrogation methods. Just remember that they are constantly planning ways to kill Americans and other innocent am beings. If your concern is their well being than you're a sorry excuse of a person and don't claim you're an American.
Posted by: Anonymous
They're humans as well.
Even though they might of killed many people, doesn't mean that people should torture them. It's really inhumane and people wouldn't like it if someone did it to them. I think there are other humane ways to try to get information from people, because the person might be innocent or say who did it if they weren't tortured.
Posted by: AnonymousThey are people and waterboarding is inhumane.
And after all we are talk about SUSPECTED terrorists after all they could be innocent. Even though i still wouldn't condone it if they were. No one has the right to treat someone else like that
Posted by: AnonymousHey, why not bring back the rack and thumbscrews while you are at it.
Simple truth drugs are a humane and easily applied alternative which is more effective.
Posted by: AnonymousThe use of deadly force should never be implemented on a suspect, no matter what their suspected crimes.
America has as a founding principle that people are innocent until proven guilty. The use of deadly force - even if the deadly force is "simulated" - on a suspect who has not been proven guilty of any crime, is a punishment which can not precede conviction. Even if the person is suspected to be a terrorist or is not an American, for the American government to engage in this betrays a vital principle of who we are.
Posted by: RaymoCanyonsWaterboarding is inhumane and ineffective, and therefore, I oppose it.
Waterboarding is inhumane. And it, along with all other forms of torture, are opposed by human rights groups, such as Amnesty International. In addition, waterboarding and other forms of torture are ineffective, as suspects will often lie just to get the torture to stop. Finally, the use of torture worsens our reputation in the international community.
Posted by: PreciousMiguel78It is inhumane to use this method because they are not criminals, but we prohibit them to do so.
The use of waterboarding to interrogate suspected terrorists results in physiologic and psychological effects. There is a real risk of death from actually suffering a heart attack or damage to the lungs from inhalation of water. Long-term effects included are panic attacks and depression. We are supposed to interrogate them, not to punish them. We cannot act like terrorists
Posted by: MeirP4p4Everyone deserves basic human rights, even if they are terrorists. Execute yes, torture no.
Torture is unethical, period. We claim to hold the high moral ground but at the same time justify why we commit crimes against humanity. If the individual who was tortured was not a terrorist, why can bet he and his family and friends will be after. "Suspected" is too broad of a term. Is it enough for your neighbor to say "I think he is" there fore its good enough, haul him away.
Posted by: RedOctober82No, it should not. It is a form of torture, and we can't sink to that level.
We cannot do waterboarding to try to extract information from suspected terrorists. This is a form of torture, which is against international laws, despite what some politicians feel about it. Evil comes in all forms. Some are terrorists; others hold public office. The fact is, we can't do this to others because it is morally wrong. There have to be standards set and adhered to. There has to be a line between good and evil, right and wrong, and we have to take the high road.
Posted by: PinkMychIt should not be legal to use waterboarding when interrogating suspected terrorists because they are suspected terrorists, not convicted terrorists.
It should not be legal to waterboard a suspected terrorist. The United States takes pride in the fact that we are a free and fair country. Anyone at any time for whatever reason could become a suspect. It is not right, moral, or humane to give such treatment to someone that has not been found guilty of anything, just suspected.
Posted by: EveDictatorI believe torture is not productive in gathering information.
I believe that torture is not productive in gathering information from terrorists. It shows a lack of imagination by the interrogator. There are other psychological methods the interrogators can use, including the threat of waterboarding, to get the information needed. Torture demeans the party that authorizes it.
Posted by: ddeathnoteWe need to stop torturing suspected terrorists and go for the real killers
Are you guys for real right now? You would allow suspected terrorist to be tortured? What if they are not terrorists? What are you gonna say? "Oh, hey, sorry for torturing you but we thought you were a terrorist. Have a nice day." You have got to be kidding me right now. Yeah, I'm all for doing it on the real thing, but if they aren't proven to be the real thing then you better back off. In this country the law states that every man/woman is innocent until proven guilty, not all of this "I think they might be so let's check and see." We are the terrorists if we are doing it on people that aren't guilty. High moral ground? Are you joking right now? America rubs its face in dirt pretty much every day. We dropped two nuclear bombs on Japan. Oh yeah, we are high on moral ground now. Look at us, the power-hunger psychos. I love America because of all the opportunities it provides. By the way, you aren't just scaring suspected terrorists, you are hurting them. They go through not just mental pain but also physical pain. What if the CIA came to your house and said, "Oh, hey, we think you are a terrorist," and then waterboarded you? You would be mad, I know I would be. You would want a trial and all that good stuff, but no, you don't get one. It's inhumane to torture the innocent.
Posted by: You_Crazy_AmericansWater boarding should be banned world wide.
Water boarding should be banned world wide and declared a war crime. Water boarding is no different that taking a person and dunking their head in a tub of water. When I person has thier face covered it dehumanizes them and makes it easier to inflict sever distress on them. I tried it on myself leaning slightly back and using a little bottle of water and it is terrifying- you can barely breath- there are other methods available which might take a little longer but just as effective.
For instance keeping a person awake for a long time with poor nutrition will wear someone down quickly. America should NOT LOWER this counties values by using this method of torture.Posted by: Anonymousfalse accusations
many people have been accused of terrorisim with out any evidence against them. and even if they are guilty which is only one in every 10,000 brought in torture is un ethical there are better ways of getting information like a lie detector. plus quite frankly the governments idea of torture scares me so technicaly they could be called terrorist them selves.
Posted by: AnonymousI oppose waterboarding, as it is torture, and there are better ways to interrogate suspected terrorists.
I do not believe that torture is an appropriate interrogation tactic. I believe in the humane treatment of all humans, and surely there are other tactics to encourage someone to reveal information that are less violent and brutal.
Posted by: StargalGeneI oppose waterboarding and torture techniques to interrogate terrorists because it is unconstitutional.
As much as I support the fight to end terrorism, we cannot ignore the laws currently in place as to the treatment of prisoners and prisoners of war. Suspects have rights. Now if the public wants to go about changing those rights, they have the right to do that, but until then, we cannot pick and choose who has rights and who does not, just because we do not like them.
Posted by: SascM0n