Dreadsox said:
It is different in my mind because the Terrorist is out to kill innocent people and cause terror.
yes, but I have a hard time believing that torture will manage to prevent innocent people to be killed
torture would accomplish something if
- a definite plan and preparations for a terrorist act have already been made
- you manage to capture one of the terrorists who has enough info so that you can prevent it from happening
- this terrorist does not have enough info for the others to give up on the plan out of fear that they won't be able to succeed should he crack
- this terrorist will due to torture tell you the truth instead of sending you on a wild goose chase for limmited amount of time you have to prevent the terrorist act to happen (I can't say I'm aware of how a terrorist's mind work, but I highly doubt this will work)
I would say chances are minimum at best that you will achieve anything except for being able to let go of some of your own frustrations for not being able to stop a tragedy from happening
the reason you mention why there is a difference between a terrorists and other people who break the law is the reason why we are so intent on stopping these terrorists
why we are willing to even 'stoop' to torture to prevent them from succeeding in what they plan to do
but when it's doubtful (and at least in my mind it is highly doubtful) that you will succeed in what you set out to achieve due to torture then what is there left?
the other point would be that when the law becomes abstract - and when you are going to treat terrorists different than every other criminal the chance of that happening does exist - then where do you draw the line?
just terrorists?
or perhaps we should also start torturing people involved in pedophile networks if they don't want to co-operate and name everyone involved in the network?
or perhaps it depends on the minimum amount of innocent people who will suffer due to your plans?
even though I can't have the slightest bit of sympathy for any terrorist and they can just rot in hell as far as I am concerned
it just seems to me that we are crossing a moral line here for some very dubious reasons