TORTURE AND THE TICKING BOMB

A brief comment on the use of torture to extract information in a "ticking timebomb" scenario in which American lives are at risk:

1. Properly conducted intelligence work should prevent 99.9 percent of all such scenarios. Unfortunately, the gutting of our intel services after the fall of the Soviet Union has greatly diminished our capabilities. While the rebuilding of these organizations is underway, these are not abilities that can be quickly recovered once lost.

2. The CIA claims of useful information being extracted from detainees subjected to waterboarding are highly suspect. The agency is rotten with an anti-administration agenda that is complemented by it's usual defiance of Congressional and Presidential authority of it's activities. How odd that the "interrogation" tapes were destroyed. Was it to prevent their use as enemy propaganda, or was it perhaps because any civilized person viewing them would find them disgusting and morally reprehensible? The CIA has been out of control for decades, much to the detriment of our national security.

3. Either we are a nation that respects human dignity, or we join the long list of cruel dictators and murderous regimes that have used torture as an instrument of national policy. That is not a crowd we should aspire to join, and it's not the image we should be cultivating abroad. This is a black and white issue: once torture is allowed in certain specific situations, it's use will become more and more widespread by more and more arms of government. Any rules originally instituted to control it will eventually slacken. Nations cannot dabble in evil because it eventually takes over completely. If it's use against enemy detainees is accepted, how long before it's use is considered against American citizens thought to hold vital information? If it's so harmless and innocent, why not use waterboarding on the next American accused of a murder, kidnapping, or molestation? Why not, if it works and it's not torture? It could save lives! The point is that it's unacceptable. The whole purpose of limited democratic government is to secure our rights by preventing the predictable abuses of power by the folks in charge.

4. The legal definition of torture under the Geneva Conventions is broad enough to allow plenty of slack to interrogators. The proper application of sleep deprivation, lighting and sound manipulation, and other softer techniques will break most men over time. Theatrical elements come into play as well. Outright lying and chicanery are well within bounds. The line is drawn at beating and the intentional infliction of physical pain. All the mental possibilities are open. Surely we are wise enough to implement effective techniques that don't cross the line.

5. Our enemies use propaganda to recruit new members and distort our efforts. Allowing the use of torture provides them a fiery example of American misdeeds. Even our best efforts will be spun by the terrorists and their Arab press allies to make us look bad, so something like torture is front page news. Look at America, they can say, the defender of democracy and human rights is a torturer of prisoners. All the years of good work done by our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan is partially erased in the mind of the Arab public each time America is even accused of wrongdoing.

6. Allowing the use of torture places us on the same moral plane as Al Qaeda and centuries of just plain evil men. We cannot claim moral authority if we do not engage in moral practices. Respecting the laws of land warfare is not a burden, it is a set of standards that raises our authority and morality in the world. Allies will be more likely to support our cause if we maintain our integrity.

7. I'll admit the ticking timebomb scenario is a rough one, especially if it's nuclear. But anyone involved in that brutal and sophisticated of an attack is unlikely to divulge any useful information even under duress. Capturing a 9/11 hijacker on 9/10 probably would not have prevented the attacks. They would have been carried out by the others regardless, and you're not likely to break a committed terrorist in a day or two. Any information he gave up would likely be a false lead to delay us. The work needed to prevent such attacks comes well before that stage.

8. We cannot expect captured Americans to be treated decently while allowing torture of enemy prisoners. Allowing harsh techniques practically guarantees their use against our troops.

PRIMARY THOUGHTS: It is possible the Republican Party may nominate someone for whom I cannot vote. I will never again vote for someone who is not a reliable conservative. And Rudy, Romney, McCain, and Huckabee are NOT conservatives, much less reliable. I am tired of voting for recent converts or candidates who run as conservatives and then govern as liberals. If Fred Thompson is not the nominee, I may be sitting this one out for the first time since I became eligible in 1984. There is very little difference between electing a Democrat and electing one of the gentlemen listed, so it wouldn't bother me at all.