by Michael Shepard

Created on: July 01, 2008   Last Updated: February 16, 2010

The justifiability of torture as a relevant, viable, productive, and worthy technique for gaining superiority in military conflicts; is measured mainly by the value of information gleaned during torture. The obtuse obviousness of failure to gain relevant, pertinent, and valuable data regarding our "enemies" in Iraq; along with the resultant loss of good will; and even increased U.S. post-torture hatred; demands the conclusion of non-justifiability of torture as a technique to gain victory over enemies. Simply put; the cost of torture is greater to the torturer than to the tortured; especially when increased resolve in tortured and their friends to gain vengeance is considered in the equation.

The best example of current proponent of non-justifiability of torture is Commander Collin Powell. He was so reviled at the Bush Administration's abandonment of Geneva Convention; his own career became tarnished as a result of his convictions. A worthwhile price because Iraq is the first major conflict in which these Laws were ignored since adopted on August 12, 1949.

Soaking in the Spanish Inquisition-adopted water board, rag stuffing in mouths, masculinity humiliation, and other sundry practices strengthen and solidify polarity between cultures.  Pain begets pain and weakens resolve to work for peace.  Torture succeeds only in bringing temporary satisfaction to an injured party while motivating the victim and cohorts with desire to exact revenge.  We will make progress as a world society in effort toward advancement in basic dignified human rights only when acknowledgement of others’ right to life free of retribution is given.

Having been personally near death by drowning myself, I can attest to the feelings of sheer panic that arise when the lungs become filled with liquid. On the plus side, panic gives adrenalin to fight for life. The reason water boarding as a practice is so abhorrent is that the head is covered and the victim has no clue when he/she will be drenched in the nose and face. One never knows when to hold their breath.  Anyone is defied to not name his/her own mother as Usama bin Laden's girlfriend after enduring a few hours of that activity.

Ineffectiveness of torture in obtaining accurate and useful information is the most powerful argument against use of the practice. Victims will say anything to escape the fear and pain. Things said under duress prove to have no significant military value.  Top military officials testified

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