Why shouldn't the CIA be allowed to use waterboarding?

Everybody knows that the only way to get the truth out of an evil terrorist is to pour water on their head. In that situation, the terrorist can only speak in objective facts and is unable to lie or make mistakes.

The CIA proved its competence beyond doubt when it assembled the watertight case for the War on Iraq. They clearly know what they're doing when it comes to gathering reliable information, and who are we to question them?

Pete, Liverpool,

I was unfortunatly not as surprised as I thought I should have been to read that this administration supported the use of waterboarding, and probably yet unknown methods of borderline torture. The whole 'military' camp at Cuba is a legal loophole and a severe discredit to the USA supposed reputation as the land of freedom. It has been almost 7 years since 9/11, why is this place still open and why have people not been tried properly in non-military courts, or shipped off to the Hauge etc.??

As for toture. Everyone knows that if pushed to the limit, anyone will say anything to get the torture to stop. So these suspects could well be innocent, but 7 years of beatings in an illegal jail and then torture could well cause them to admit they did all kinds of things that never happened. A classic method of previous regimes to get an answer to an impossible question.

The Intelligence/Security Organizations of the USA need to be subject to a complete and thorough 3rd party investigation

Ben, Montreal,

I understand the temptations to use this form of interrogation, especially if there is a (perceived) threat of an imminent attack.

However there is another side of the coin:

1) the quality of information from the tortured is sometimes considered unreliable
2) it can demean/dehumanize the person doing it
3) it is generally considered illegal
4) if it's right for America (or UK or any other allies) to do it because they feel threatened why would any other state not feel it right to use it on people they feel threaten them? Burmese government against people they consider dangerous, Turkish government against Kurds they suspect of being in the PKK, Iranian goverment against British military personnel they consider have encroached their territorial waters, Russian Government against Chechen seperatists? The list goes on and on.
5) If it's OK in this situation, why isn't it OK in others? How about a suspected kidnapper who won't tell you where his/her victim is? Where is the line?

andy, Torbay, Devon

Sometimes I think we are getting soft in our modern age, just imaging we have a technique that can save lives from a few who have no care in the world about other people's lives and we are debating a system which is used to gain vital information from these few, I think if its proven that you are a terrorist then any means necessary should be used to protect any community or country with the information gathered. I believe in people fighting for their rights or for their country’s rights, but I also feel that taking the lives of innocent people in the process to prove a point including women and children should be dealt with harshly. Lucky for them the punishment is not death if found guilty.

Barefoot, London, UK

if this technique is used to get people to panic and spill their plans, then it won't work anymore because they've just revealed that it's simulated and they're not actually drowning, well done, now their going to keep quiet!

natalie-student, nottingham,

Jean in Orlando: I think the whole point is that, yes the people waterboarding is being used on ARE terrorists, or alleged terrorists, but you in the US and we in Europe are supposed to be BETTER THAN THAT.

Using this method demeans the CIA and the whole country.

Katy, London, UK

"It's inhuman"???They are terrorists! What do they care about being humane They are training their children to kill and torture. Have none of you seen the videos?

Jen, Orlando, Florida

Oh, gosh, you mean we're just supposed to ask these vile, evil murderers what their plans are for killing us? Can you Europeans really be this stupid? Waterboarding is extremely unpleasant, but it doesn't kill people, which is a far cry from the videotaped beheading of American civilians by these disgusting lunatics.

Annaburdy, Atlanta,

Can any of the bleeding heart liberals advise as to how the valuable information extracted by waterboarding these three terrorists would have been obtained by other means? The fact that it has saved the lives of possibly thousands of innocent people is of little relevance to these champions of the Geneva Conventions when it comes to the US but remain silent when the worlds tyrants and dictators torture, maim,rape and kill with impunity. The selective condemnation shown by the left is immoral at best. If you seriously think that these monsters will stop torturing because of ANY uninforcable and pie in the sky international laws then you are sadly mistaken.

viv, london, england

Can we, in Europe, not extradite Bush using extraordinary rendition (capture him when he arrives as a summit or somethine) transfer him to the Hague to face war crimes charges.

Yeah... Like that's really gonna happen!

I have to say, I used to love America, but now they make me sick!

stuart, St Albans, UK

How have the American public responded? Are they as disgusted with this as the rest of us?
Torture is wrong. Full stop.

Becky, Seville,

Don't the American Waterboarders realise that if the technique is used by the USA then every organisation in the world can also try to justify its use, including against Americans-and Nato forces? In short, the threshold for torture is lowered for all. But if the US President and Attorney-General say it could be allowable, can anyone say otherwise?
What an awful example to set for the rest of the world!

Dr Derek Jeary, Ripon (united kingdom),

wouldn't you admit to anything just to get them to stop? Can the outcomes then be valid?

Louise Turner, Leeds, UK

It seems that the USA has a policy of don't do as I do, do as I say.

michael tindall, Christchurch, new zealand

it's utterly inhuman!!!! even if they are terrorists, we have, all of us, to respect Geneva Conventions and to ban this act of torture!

lilian, lyon, france