Is waterboarding torture?

Depends on which end you are?

The modern practice of waterboarding, characterized in 2005 by former CIA director Porter J. Goss as a "professional interrogation technique"[1], involves tying the victim to a board with the head lower than the feet so that he or she is unable to move. A piece of cloth is held tightly over the face, and water is poured onto the cloth. Breathing is extremely difficult and the victim will be in fear of imminent death by asphyxiation. Journalists Brian Ross and Richard Esposito described the CIA's waterboarding technique as follows:

The prisoner is bound to an inclined board, feet raised and head slightly below the feet. Cellophane is wrapped over the prisoner's face and water is poured over him. Unavoidably, the gag reflex kicks in and a terrifying fear of drowning leads to almost instant pleas to bring the treatment to a halt. According to the sources, CIA officers who subjected themselves to the water boarding technique lasted an average of 14 seconds before caving in. They said al Qaeda's toughest prisoner, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, won the admiration of interrogators when he was able to last over two minutes before begging to confess.[2]
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Describe what it is.
I had a friend who had a garden hose rammed into his mouth and his belly filled with water, then they hit him with a flatboard on his belly full of water. But our country was under martial law, and my friend was caught distributing truly subversive, communist materials.

Is that it ?

Does the US of A do that ? Is it documented ?

 

And now, thanks the the republicans in Congress, they can do it to American citizens who are thought to be helping terrorists.

Although we have made some mistakes. You have to break some eggs to make an omelett, after all...

 

I hate that we live in a world where things like this even have to be thought about. The idea of waterboarding someone makes me sick. But not as sick as the memories of the Twin Towers on fire and the poor doomed Americans jumping out of the windows. Let's put the blame where it belongs. It's the fact that Islamic extremists insist on plotting to kill us that makes aggressive interrogation techniques necessary. If they would decide to live and let live like we're willing to do with those who believe differently from us, we wouldn't even need to have this debate. But since they insist on continuing to try to destroy us and our way of life, it's far better for a terrorist to be made very uncomfortable for a minute or two than for us to be mourning the deaths of more thousands of innocent people.
All thing being equal, I wouldn't want anybody to ever be waterboarded. But since it helps prevent further terrorist attacks on our country and our citizens, I'm willing to accept using it on terrorists who are part of these plots. It's hard for me to understand why any American would disagree with that.

 

Instead of waterboarding, why not simply force them to go through wog day? Or is that torture also? Probably, according to some.

 

They don't even need to think a person is helping terrorists. All they need do is claim it. Any thought of constitutional rights at that point are null and void.

 

Yes, water-boarding is torture. Maybe we could use this technique on members of Congress who like to play with little boys. We could certainly get past all the rhetoric and get to the bottom of their involvement in illegal activities.

 

As far the members of congress and the current administration goes their involvement in illegal activities are bottomless. Lucky thing for them they can immunize themseves retroactively from prosecution. Ala the unitary president decider legislation.

 

Waterboarding can be hazardous to your health

The physical effects of waterboarding are extreme pain and damage to the lungs, brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation and sometimes broken bones because of the restraints applied to the struggling victim.

I remember reading in the Bible about this woman who was being stoned for infidelity. (Hey! She was guilty as sin.). But Jesus stepped in and challanged those who were without sin to cast the first stone. Stoning was a tortureous means of death.
If Jesus was agin it, then so am I. I challange any Christian to take that stand with Jesus.

 

I can see your analogy if the intent was to kill them, the intent here is to get information and death is just a risk that could occur. I really get mixed feelings because the info acquired could save thousands but is the worth the price put on one human who may or may not have any information?

 

What then if an innocent man confesses so that the torure may stop and then as a result of false information that is given then it is acted on. All we have done is created more chaos and have done more harm than good.

 

Good point!

 

What kind of car do you drive?

Hey Le Buick, do you drive a Buick? I drive a LeChrysler.
Sorry it was a stupid question but I just had to ask, sleep deprivation causes me to do this.
Have a nice day.:wavey:

 

yes sir, that is where the name comes from. I drive a Park Avenue in a circle where Caddys are the norm. So when I show up, they say here comes "the buick" or you know, the preacher that drive "the buick". I've always felt like a Buick was a cheaper caddy and I'm as frugle as they come so........

 

Water boarding is not torture. Neither is playing loud music or sleep deprivation. The threat of having one's head cut off and then having it cut off is torture, though. Or burying someone alive up to their head and lettng birds, insects, and animals eat their head is torture, also. Or tying a baby to the parents, one side to the mother and one side to the father and then pulling the parents apart so the baby is ripped in two - that's torture. Those are the kinds of interrogation methods the enemy uses.

 

http://hotair.com/archives/2006/09/...ntly-confirms-success-of-cia-torture-tactics/

No one is taking part in torture. However waterbaording and sleep depravation are veryu effective as is confessed ion this video.