Where do you fall on the whole torture the terrorist bent? Secret prisons run by the CIA and the rest of that bruhahah... lately caused by McCain, congress and Bush?
--Ray
__________________
I'm not slow; I'm special. (Don't take it personally, everyone finds me offensive. Yet somehow I manage to live with myself.)
I agree with Bush's policy of not torturing because there's little to be gained from it and it's bad for our image and it can turn our fine servicemen into bullies and psychopaths.
I disagree with passing a law against it because then any time you keep a prisoner up late for interrogation of threaten them or do things to scare them like pouring water over their heads or playing with weapons to obtain necessary information, someone will call it torture and institute legal proceedings.
I'm not sure what purpose secret prisons serves, but war and intelligence gathering isn't my vocation. I have a huge problem with government snitches (traitors) who give away classified information like the information that brought these prisons to light. If anyone is free to expose any war policy with which they are in disagreement, no classified information can be safe. In a battlefield, once you gain power over an opponent, you either kill them, imprison them, or let them go so they can kill more of your guys the next day. The third option is stupid, the first is probably overly cruel, so what ya gonna do if you can't imprison them?
I did not serve in the military personally, though I toyed with the idea of ROTC when much younger. My Dad, who was an army officer during the Korean War (after his mission) advised me against it because of my strong sense of individual personality and spiritual sensitivity. I have a great respect for those who do make that sacrifice to serve, and I am also grateful my Dad advised me to not pursue it myself.
But, The Book of Mormon is full of all three examples Randy gave of what you do with your enemy in times of war, and also gives indications of the fallout when each course of action is followed.
__________________
It seems to me the only thing you've learned is that Caesar is a "salad dressing dude."
Torture is an ineffective means of interrogation. Most of the time, the answers are unreliable because the person will say anything to stop the pain.
The interrogation method that yields the best intel happens to be the commitment pattern--establish relationships of trust, yada, yada. When a person believes they can trust you, they will tell you just about anything.
Of course, the problem is that terrorists have been indoctrinated with an extreme hatred of Americans, and would rather die than trust one, so there you go.
Sleep deprivation is sometimes reliable.
__________________
The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life. - Julie Beck
From what Bush said in the one speach last week there have been some results gained from coercive interogation. They put some guy in a cold room and blared Red Hot Chili Peppers music at him. That's torture if you're from Sheboygan!
In truth. I hope we have a bunch of guys running around like Jack Bower from the Fox show 24. Guys who are smart enough to know what is going to work and what is not going to work for each individual. Blanket rules and policies that might lead to any deaths of our people or our allies should not be applied.
I have heard arguments that using coercion will only make the terrorist more emboldened. Remember that these people have only one rule, kill the infidel. How many people have they beheaded on T.V. There was no tribunal, no Geneva convention, and no miranda rights for these folks. No phone call or attourney was there to represent them when they were slaughtered.
Coercion does not mean torture. Making someone uncomfortable with loud music, sleep deprivation or cold temperature is not the same as pushing bamboo shoots up a guys finger or puting a bullet in his knee cap. But heaven forbid if we know that one of these guys has information on another 9-11 and we don't have the guts to put a bullet in his knee cap if it will get us the information to save thousands of U.S. lives.
