by Luke Dearden

Created on: May 19, 2009   Last Updated: May 24, 2009

According to Amnesty International, torture is defined as, "Any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person." Torture is usually conducted to punish those who have inflicted suffering on others, gather vital information, or intimidate the enemy. Suggestions now indicate that the United States used torture to counter terrorism after the September 11th attacks.

Dennis Blair, the director of National Intelligence said, "High value information came from interrogations in which those methods [torture] were used." This pro-torture comment was struck down, when on a separate occasion, Blair stated, "There is no way of knowing whether the same information could have been obtained through other means." John McCain, a torture victim himself, testifies against torture publicly saying that it does not work. Dick Cheney, Blair, and others would disagree.

However, it is not a question of efficiency, but rather, it is a question of morality and law. To uphold high moral standards and to respect the law, torture should not be conducted by the United States under any circumstance.

Rather one is against torture, for torture, or merely in between, one fact is clear. On June 26, 1987, The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, was set in stone by the United Nations General Assembly. The United States is part of the UN and international law, of which the US signed upon, states clearly that torture is prohibited under any circumstance.

Furthermore, in 1994, the Convention against Torture was ratified by the US congress, making it US law as well. The Department of Justice's Legal Office wrongly advised Cheney and CIA officials to go through with the counter-terrorism torture plan. This should never happen again. High ranking officials are simply not above the law. Also, the United States, a respectable country, should be an example to other countries who agreed to the convention. If the US goes back on their word, they will not only be swamped with disapproval, but other countries will use them as an excuse to do the same.

Whether prosecution is necessary or not for this recent investigation, I cannot say men were carrying out orders. If prosecution was to take place, I would agree with Leon Panetta, the chief of CIA, when he said, "It would be difficult for agents to do their jobs in the future, for fear of prosecution." This is something that will have to be

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