Should it be legal to use waterboarding to interrogate suspected terrorists?

Topic:
Law Debates

21 Contributors
in this discussion.

Yes
52% of users

  • I believe using waterboarding as an interrogation technique should be forbidden due to the harshness of it.

    Waterboarding and torturing in general should not be used as interrogation techniques. They are cruel and haven't proved to be effective. I believe that abuse of our prisoners only inflames sensitive relationships, and I also don't believe that it does anything except perhaps bring about false information. We can't resort to the brutality and animal-like behavior that we see other countries taking part in. It is not effective and it is not humane.

    Yes SilentIgnacio

  • Yes, because terrorists should not be subject to the Geneva Convention.

    Traditional warfare has rules, and terrorists do not abide by these rules in planning and executing their attacks. While some feel we should not lower our standards in dealing with terrorists, I believe that these people are extremists and we should be totally willing and able to utilize extreme methods of interrogation with those who are in our custody.

    Yes EweIICist

  • I believe that the use of waterboarding to interrogate suspected terrorists should be legal. As long as they are certain that the suspected terrorist has information they need.

    I believe that the use of waterboarding to interrogate suspected terrorists should be legal as long as there is a lot of hard evidence against him. Although mentally trying, waterboarding does not actually cause any physical harm and has been proven to be an effective means of getting information while leaving the recipient unharmed after the event.

    Yes ExcitedRonald

  • We're talking about suspected terrorists here.

    Not your everyday people. Only those who have reason to be suspected terrorists or accomplices get waterboarded. And there's no denying that it's effective with the capturing of both Sadaam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden since 2001. Numerous of other planned attacks were also uncovered through the use of waterboarding thus saving hundreds, maybe even thousands of lives. In my opinion, with these times of tension, the use of waterboarding is 100% necessary in our country.

    Yes Anonymous

  • I do believe that waterboarding should be allowed to interrogate suspected terrorists, because most of these people have no regard for human life, and we must get information out of them for our nation's safety.

    In the world, there are so many terrorists that are not only angry at America, but other countries as well. They have no regard for human life in the acts that they commit, and don't value their own lives. And, in many ways, we need information that they hold to keep the world safe as a whole.

    Yes R43Galla

  • For the greater good that it can accomplish, I believe that waterboarding of suspected terrorists is sometimes necessary.

    Although using waterboarding as a means to extract information from suspected terrorists should only be used in extreme cases, I believe that if it gains information that saves lives, then it is justified. Terrorists have no regard for human life, and sometimes we need to get information from them by using torture. This is the only thing that some of them understand.

    Yes R0d0Ferdy

  • Water boarding should be legal when interrogating suspected terrorists because they are dangerous are trying to hurt innocent people.

    Water boarding should be legal when interrogating suspected terrorists because terrorists are dangerous and we need to protect the greater good. If we have to inconvenience a handful of terrorists to save possibly thousands of innocent lives then we should do it. All governments have a responsibility to keep their citizens safe and they should do what they need to do to accomplish that goal.

    Yes Ch3IGod

  • I think it should be legal to use waterboarding to interrogate suspected terrorists.

    When this debate came up in my household, I actually had one of my children do it to me so I could see how it feels. While it is extremely unbearable and frightening, I think it should be used. In order to save countless people from violence caused by terrorism, sometimes it is necessary to use extreme tactics.

    Yes giladren

  • I agree with waterboarding use as an interrogation method for terrorist suspects because it gets a response quick.

    Waterboarding can be torturous, but if it is overseen by a humanitarian group that receives no gain from overseeing and monitoring the techniques then it should be allowed. Such a group was used in the interrogations of terrorist suspects after 9/11. Records show that it took 35 seconds to get one of the suspects to talk. This is impressive when you know what a terrorist is capable of. With the proof that waterboarding, when done correctly, does not permanently harm the suspect, I support its use because it can save innocent lives.

    Yes SleekTom

  • The government should use waterboarding or anything it needs to interrogate suspected terrorists.

    I believe that waterboarding or any method the government needs to use to get information out of terror suspects should be used. Their number one priority should be in keeping all Americans safe. Those who think waterboarding is a cruel act should remember what the terrorists did to us. Thousands of innocent people died, and those who don't want to use any method available to get the information to stop future attacks need to remember what an ungodly way our citizens died.

    Yes EantDirty

  • I do not fully condone torture, but I do believe a certain level of fear must be obtained before a die-hard fundamentalist will give up any information.

    I believe the world has become a little too soft when dealing with extreme fundamentalist beliefs and actions. These men are taught, as are our soldiers, to withstand interrogations and to give no information at all costs. When a suspect is literally caught in the act of terrorist activity then I most certainly condone certain amounts of torture to attain information related to leaders, other active cells or factions, and the knowledge of planned future attacks. As long as the extreme fundamentalists of this world know that there is nothing to fear in an American interrogation room, the terrorist activities of the world will continue unhindered.

    Yes BrianDj
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No
48% of users

  • I believe torture is not productive in gathering information.

    I believe that torture is not productive in gathering information from terrorists. It shows a lack of imagination by the interrogator. There are other psychological methods the interrogators can use, including the threat of waterboarding, to get the information needed. Torture demeans the party that authorizes it.

    No ddeathnote

  • They are people and waterboarding is inhumane.

    And after all we are talk about SUSPECTED terrorists after all they could be innocent. Even though i still wouldn't condone it if they were. No one has the right to treat someone else like that

    No Anonymous

  • Waterboarding is inhumane and ineffective, and therefore, I oppose it.

    Waterboarding is inhumane. And it, along with all other forms of torture, are opposed by human rights groups, such as Amnesty International. In addition, waterboarding and other forms of torture are ineffective, as suspects will often lie just to get the torture to stop. Finally, the use of torture worsens our reputation in the international community.

    No PreciousMiguel78

  • Hey, why not bring back the rack and thumbscrews while you are at it.

    Simple truth drugs are a humane and easily applied alternative which is more effective.

    No Anonymous

  • The use of deadly force should never be implemented on a suspect, no matter what their suspected crimes.

    America has as a founding principle that people are innocent until proven guilty. The use of deadly force - even if the deadly force is "simulated" - on a suspect who has not been proven guilty of any crime, is a punishment which can not precede conviction. Even if the person is suspected to be a terrorist or is not an American, for the American government to engage in this betrays a vital principle of who we are.

    No RaymoCanyons

  • It should not be legal to use waterboarding when interrogating suspected terrorists because they are suspected terrorists, not convicted terrorists.

    It should not be legal to waterboard a suspected terrorist. The United States takes pride in the fact that we are a free and fair country. Anyone at any time for whatever reason could become a suspect. It is not right, moral, or humane to give such treatment to someone that has not been found guilty of anything, just suspected.

    No EveDictator

  • I oppose waterboarding, as it is torture, and there are better ways to interrogate suspected terrorists.

    I do not believe that torture is an appropriate interrogation tactic. I believe in the humane treatment of all humans, and surely there are other tactics to encourage someone to reveal information that are less violent and brutal.

    No StargalGene

  • I oppose waterboarding and torture techniques to interrogate terrorists because it is unconstitutional.

    As much as I support the fight to end terrorism, we cannot ignore the laws currently in place as to the treatment of prisoners and prisoners of war. Suspects have rights. Now if the public wants to go about changing those rights, they have the right to do that, but until then, we cannot pick and choose who has rights and who does not, just because we do not like them.

    No SascM0n

  • It is inhumane to use this method because they are not criminals, but we prohibit them to do so.

    The use of waterboarding to interrogate suspected terrorists results in physiologic and psychological effects. There is a real risk of death from actually suffering a heart attack or damage to the lungs from inhalation of water. Long-term effects included are panic attacks and depression. We are supposed to interrogate them, not to punish them. We cannot act like terrorists

    No MeirP4p4

  • No, it should not. It is a form of torture, and we can't sink to that level.

    We cannot do waterboarding to try to extract information from suspected terrorists. This is a form of torture, which is against international laws, despite what some politicians feel about it. Evil comes in all forms. Some are terrorists; others hold public office. The fact is, we can't do this to others because it is morally wrong. There have to be standards set and adhered to. There has to be a line between good and evil, right and wrong, and we have to take the high road.

    No PinkMych
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Should it be legal to use waterboarding to interrogate suspected terrorists?
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