Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
[q]Two, torture can be used in limited circumstances to gain necessary intelligence, but should not be used as a way of instilling fear in the general public. [/q]
my problem with the three options you've given us lies directly in this one. it seems implicit in this statement that torture can and is a successful means of gaining intelligence, especially that necessary intelligence, which, in the minds of those who are more receptive to the use of torture, would mean information about an imminent attack on civilians. that's another assumption, not just on the accuracy of information gained through torture, but on the level of importance of such information.
when you open the door to torture with the hope of meeting these two things (accurate intelligence, critical intelligence) the likelihood of yielding such information seems remote at best.
my guess is the sanctioning of torture by Cheney et al has been done to reassure themselves, the people in power, that they are doing all that can be done to protect American citizens, with little regard to the actual worth of ingelligence gained through torture.
my problem with the three options you've given us lies directly in this one. it seems implicit in this statement that torture can and is a successful means of gaining intelligence, especially that necessary intelligence, which, in the minds of those who are more receptive to the use of torture, would mean information about an imminent attack on civilians. that's another assumption, not just on the accuracy of information gained through torture, but on the level of importance of such information.
when you open the door to torture with the hope of meeting these two things (accurate intelligence, critical intelligence) the likelihood of yielding such information seems remote at best.
my guess is the sanctioning of torture by Cheney et al has been done to reassure themselves, the people in power, that they are doing all that can be done to protect American citizens, with little regard to the actual worth of ingelligence gained through torture.