2008 Woodie Awards
Waterboarding 'A-OK'
GABE MURPHY
Opinion Writer
Issue date: 4/17/08 Section: Opinion
America is one step closer to preserving methods that ensure national security.
On March 11, 2008 President Bush vetoed a bill that would have prevented the Central Intelligence Agency from using waterboarding, and other coercive interrogative methods, to retrieve information from terrorists. It's comforting to know that our national security is still more important than the rights of any terrorist.
The Democrats desperately tried to overturn the vetoed bill, but failed when they were unable to achieve the two-thirds majority vote. What a shame.
Some Americans consider waterboarding to be cruel and needless torture, while others believe waterboarding is vital to our national security. In fact cnn.com reports that 69 percent of Americans feel waterboarding is torture. The fact of the matter is no one can really say. The poll also said that 40 percent believe waterboarding should be used to retrieve information from suspected terrorists. This figure goes to show how important our national security really is.
"Water-boarding is torture and torture is wrong. If America is the leader of the free world, then it sets a bad example for other countries to follow,"Boise State student Tyler Gaylord said.
However, according to 1984 United Nations Convention against torture, torture is defined as "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mentally, is intentionally inflicted on a person." Since pain is truly a subjective term, who is to say what is severe pain and what is minimal pain.
The U.S. government currently stands by the notion that waterboarding is not torture and with this I completely I agree.
The current U.S. legal code defines torture as an action that is specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering. Both of these definitions disprove that waterboarding is torture.
Waterboarding currently falls under guidelines known as enhanced interrogation techniques both for U.S. and international law. Other methods of these interrogation techniques include sleep deprivation, being subjected to the cold, standing for long periods of time and even slapping. Is waterboarding any different?
Waterboarding is the process of holding someone down and giving them the sensation of drowning. The person is typically tied down to a wooden plank while water is poured over their head through a cloth sheath. The sensation of drowning is said to produce panic, fear and loss of control but mediamatters.org reports that the effects cause no lasting damage.
In a Washington Post article on Dec. 8, 2007, the CIA admits to using the waterboarding technique three times since 2001, but not at all since 2003. America isn't abusing this power or using this technique carelessly. America is using waterboarding against known terrorists for information that could save thousands of lives.
In 2005, the CIA banned waterboarding from their approved interrogation methods.
Whether or not you are in support of waterboarding being used or if you arbitrarily feel it violates the human rights of terrorists, waterboarding has yet to be defined as torture.
On March 11, 2008 President Bush vetoed a bill that would have prevented the Central Intelligence Agency from using waterboarding, and other coercive interrogative methods, to retrieve information from terrorists. It's comforting to know that our national security is still more important than the rights of any terrorist.
The Democrats desperately tried to overturn the vetoed bill, but failed when they were unable to achieve the two-thirds majority vote. What a shame.
Some Americans consider waterboarding to be cruel and needless torture, while others believe waterboarding is vital to our national security. In fact cnn.com reports that 69 percent of Americans feel waterboarding is torture. The fact of the matter is no one can really say. The poll also said that 40 percent believe waterboarding should be used to retrieve information from suspected terrorists. This figure goes to show how important our national security really is.
"Water-boarding is torture and torture is wrong. If America is the leader of the free world, then it sets a bad example for other countries to follow,"Boise State student Tyler Gaylord said.
However, according to 1984 United Nations Convention against torture, torture is defined as "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mentally, is intentionally inflicted on a person." Since pain is truly a subjective term, who is to say what is severe pain and what is minimal pain.
The U.S. government currently stands by the notion that waterboarding is not torture and with this I completely I agree.
The current U.S. legal code defines torture as an action that is specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering. Both of these definitions disprove that waterboarding is torture.
Waterboarding currently falls under guidelines known as enhanced interrogation techniques both for U.S. and international law. Other methods of these interrogation techniques include sleep deprivation, being subjected to the cold, standing for long periods of time and even slapping. Is waterboarding any different?
Waterboarding is the process of holding someone down and giving them the sensation of drowning. The person is typically tied down to a wooden plank while water is poured over their head through a cloth sheath. The sensation of drowning is said to produce panic, fear and loss of control but mediamatters.org reports that the effects cause no lasting damage.
In a Washington Post article on Dec. 8, 2007, the CIA admits to using the waterboarding technique three times since 2001, but not at all since 2003. America isn't abusing this power or using this technique carelessly. America is using waterboarding against known terrorists for information that could save thousands of lives.
In 2005, the CIA banned waterboarding from their approved interrogation methods.
Whether or not you are in support of waterboarding being used or if you arbitrarily feel it violates the human rights of terrorists, waterboarding has yet to be defined as torture.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Peter
posted 4/17/08 @ 9:12 PM MST
I agree completely. Why should we lower our standards to be nice to terrorists?!
Constance
posted 4/17/08 @ 9:34 PM MST
I agree completely with that Tyler Gaylord. Waterboarding is torture. And it is unethical. And it is not "a-ok" with me.
Erik Person
posted 4/19/08 @ 12:25 PM MST
After W.W.II we tried and convicted a Japanese officer of torture for waterboarding U.S. soldiers. This is a legal president in U.S. law. Now, we are ignoring it currently, which is something that can be done legally. (Continued…)
Bruce
posted 4/24/08 @ 12:59 AM MST
If waterboarding is OK, then why did the CIA ban it? Your article embarassingly contradicts itself by saying it's OK, then saying the CIA banned it.
Waterboarding is forced drowning, which is torture. (Continued…)
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