When is it appropriate for Military personnel to use torture as a strategy to get info. from prisoners of war?

Ryan C

I think torture that doesn't leave any lasting scars is okay if it prevents thousands form dying. i.e-- I would have tortured the 911 masterminds to prevent it.

Bill

Never.

The United States Constitution states that the Constitution and treaties made under it are the "supreme Law of the Land."

Our country has signed the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. It is now the "supreme Law of the Land."

United States military or civilian personnel cannot torture. Military personnel and civil service employees all swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution. Torture not only violates the treaty, it violates the oath.

Article 3 of the Geneva Convention forbids the following:

(a) Violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;

(b) Taking of hostages;

(c) Outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment;

(d) The passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.

crop13b

Torture is never appropriate to extract any information from any person prisoner of war or not. Not only is it against the Geneva Convention and punishable by UCMJ, but it is also the least effective way. Torture will give you a response to a question you want answered in order for the torture to end or at least take a break from it for a little while, but will not force someone to give the true answer.

If something big is going to go off in NYC or anywhere else in 10 minutes isn't going give you enough time to do anything even if you know exactly where the device is located.

promethius9594

It is never appropriate to use torture on POWs. That being said, the definitiion of torture is relative. What is sleep deprivation and loud noises at random times to put someone on edge? is it really torture if it doesn't actually do anything to hurt them? is scaring someone into THINKING you're going to hurt them torture? that's the blurred line that people are having trouble with.

gunplumber_462

It is never appropriate. It is illegal, immoral, and almost always ineffective.

20+ years and still in-love!

It is not okay to TORTURE any of our POW's. We can interrogate using different methods, we can not threaten their families or their lives. Legally anyway. It does happen as we all know and our men do pay the price for it. I personally wouldn't want to be a person in that position since human instinct to obtain answers to win has been known to take over the better half of one's ability to make sound decisions.

forever_knight_99

what is your definition of torture would have to be the first question answered to me torture would be cutting off someones hands to get information from them in which case never but if you believe that by giving them MREs that they may or may not eat because of their beliefs is torture then I say we don't run a mess hall and they get what's in the box.

American2006

We need to do whatever is necessary to obtain information that will protect Americans.

http://myamericantoday.blogspot.com/

Gotta have more explosions!

Never, especially according to the Geneva Convention. If you choose to flaunt that particular aspect of the Geneva Convention, don't get too upset when your enemy flaunts the others. Besides, if your enemies think torturing captured soldiers from your military will save the lives of their comrades, wouldn't it be just for them to do it also?

There are no good or bad sides in the world, apparently. Everyone thinks they're the good guys, thus mooting the "greater good" argument.

dead7

torture is illegal for military personnel to us in accordance with military justice definition and should be avoided by our personnel however, they use the terms of enhanced interrogation technics which are legal for our personnel to use these technics are a form of torture but are physiological in nature and have no lasting effects to the individuals body IE a drop of water hitting you in the forehead every second would drive you crazy in a short time but the more drastic forms should never be used IE like the viet cong and bamboo shoved under the finger nails. The only time that I would even consider the harsher forms would be in a dire emergency example you have caught a person who has set a chemical bomb to go off in 10 minutes in the middle of a city (NYC) and you need to find it now (or worse a nuke) You would lose them in court but you could save thousands Note this wont work with a suicide bomber/fanatic type of individual hope this helps GL

Chief

Whatever it takes to get the job done. Our enemy doesn't give a damn about our guys, chopping off their heads and dragging them around, etc. The bleeding heart approach won't work against people who are trying to kill us all.

Chief Petty Officer
U.S. Navy, Retired
with 2 sons in the military, one in Iraq

morningstar6707

torture will not get the truth but i do believe that truth syrium would.we need to do something to get these people to talk.
too many of our troops are dieing over there because noone wants to use it. i believe that if we could use it we could have gotten ben laden a long time ago.

chaseboy2008

If the information will lead to the saving of American lives.

chefsky2001

I feel that every prisoner that we capture should be from the word go. It will save so many more lifes and help end this alot sooner

NickofTyme

Remember Daniel Pearl.

man_marathon

never for the military,maybe for classified personnel only

David R

Now

Daniel

If there are soldiers in danger

don c

I can tell you in one sentence.

ONLY WHEN GEORGE W. BUSH IS PRESIDENT

jesusmuffins17

Whenever people are going to get killed. Actually, we cant' at all or Hilary Clinton is going to have something to say about it.

Alex B

That's a tough question. I know people in the military who are opposed to torture. One of the big reasons is that information from tortured people is unreliable. If someone is torturing me, I'll say anything to make them stop.....whether it be the truth or a lie.

I don't have a problem doing it if we know it will save lives.

jimmy h

war is war, do what you gotta do to win

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