EnhancedInterrogation

Imagineyourbodystrappedtoatablewithyourfeetslightlyraisedaboveyour
head.Youcan'tseeanythingbecauseoftheclothoveryourhead.Allyouheararethe
soundsoffootstepsgettingclosertoyou.Thenasuddensurgeofwaterhitsyourface.
Youstartfeelinglikeyou'redrowning.Butthenthewaterstopsandallyoucandois
gaspforthelittleairyoucanget.Thisiscalledwaterboarding.Waterboardingisoneof
themanyenhancedinterrogationmethodstheCIAusedagainstthe172detaineesthat
supposedlydidrevealthelocationofOsamaBinLaden.However,theCIAwaswrong
touseenhancedinterrogationagainstthedetainees.Theinterrogationmethodswere
notefficientatgettingtheinformationfromthedetainees,torturemethodsareillegal,
andwewouldhavefoundtheUSstargetwithoutthatformofinterrogation.
Firstly,manypeoplethinkthatenhancedinterrogationisaneffectivewayof
gettinginformation.However,theseenhancedinterrogationmethodswerenotefficient
atgatheringinformation.Outofthe172detaineesonlytwoofthemhadvaluable
information,and8ofthedetaineesmadeupinformationtogettheinterrogationtoend.
Alsothetwopsychologistswhochosetheinterrogationmethodshadnobackgroundin
interrogation.AirForceReserveColonelSteveKleinmanstatedthatthetwo
psychologistshadnointelligencebackgroundandhadneverconductedan
interrogation.Thisisimportantbecausesincethepsychologisthadnotrainingin
intelligenceorinterrogationitwouldmakeitsothechosenmethodswerenoteffectivein
gettingreliableinformation.Notonlyweretheenhancedinterrogationmethods
ineffective,themethodswouldalsobeconsideredillegal.
Itisillegalforacountrytoperformtorture.Asstatedinthe
ConventionAgainst
TortureandOtherCruel,InhumanorDegradingTreatmentorPunishment
createdby
theUNandsignedbytheUS,tortureisanyactbywhichseverepainorsuffering,
whetherphysicalormental,isintentionallyinflictedonapersonforsuchpurposesas
obtainingfromhimorathirdpersoninformationoraconfession.AlsoChapter18of
theU.S.C.,section2340statesthattorturemeansanactcommittedbyapersonacting

underthecoloroflawspecificallyintendedtoinflictseverephysicalormentalpainor
sufferinguponanotherpersonwithinhiscustody.Somepeoplewouldsay
waterboardingisnottorture.However,theUnitedStatesdidviolatethiscodebecause
themethodsthatwereusedweredeemedtorturebytheUSsupremecourt.Also
waterboardingistheprocesswhereapersongoesthroughasimulateddrowning
experience.Ifthisisnotdonecorrectlyitcancausethepersontodie.Inadditiontoit
beingineffectiveatgettinginformationandbeingillegal,theUSwouldhavegottenthe
informationinanotherway.
TheCIAatfirstreportedthattheintegrationfoundthemtheirtargets.However,
theUSwouldhavefoundtheirtargetwithoutenhancedinterrogation.TheCIAdidnot
justusetheinformationtheyobtainedfromthedetaineestotrackdownandgettargets.
Theylistenedtocalls,hadaccesstodrones,andhadoperativessearchinginprime
locations.Alsobecausesomeoftheinformationwasmadeup,theCIAwassentonwild
goosechasesthatdelayedthemintheirprocessofsearching.Forinstance,inonecase
backaround9/11theCIAwassentonawildgoosechaseforAlQaedainManhattan.
AlsoCIADirectorLeonPanettastated:Intheend,nodetaineeinCIAcustodyrevealed
thefacilitator/couriersfulltruenameorspecificwhereabouts.Thisinformationwas
discoveredthroughotherintelligencemeans.Thisquotemeansthattheinterrogation
methodswerenoteffectiveatgettingintelligence,andthattheCIAgotmoreofit
throughothermeans.Therefore,theUSwouldhavefoundtheirtargetwithouttheaidof
enhancedinterrogation.
Inconclusion,theCIAwasnotjustifiedtouseenhancedinterrogation.The
interrogationmethodswerenotefficientatgatheringinformation,illegalforacountryto
performtorture,andtheUSwouldhavefoundtheirtargeteventually.ThIsformof
enhancedintegrationhasbeenprovennottobeeffective.BarackObamastated:I
unequivocallybannedtorturewhenItookoffice,becauseoneofourmosteffectivetools
infightingterrorismandkeepingAmericanssafeisstayingtruetoouridealsathome
andabroad."ThereishopethattheUSwillnevermakethismistakeagain.

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