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Torture works?
On the assumption that Torture does not work.
The most important information you can get from a prisoner in a war where the enemy is is an insurgency hiding among the citizenry, is names of the fellow combatants. That is why torture is so routinely used by organizations that are fighting insurgencies that are hiding among the citizenry.
That is also why in combat, soldiers that are not wearing uniforms are summarily shot. That is also why the Geneva convention addresses wars where each side wears uniforms. When people are not wearing uniforms they are considered spies and a whole other rules of conduct sets in.
The greatest asset the insurgent has is hiding their identity and their comrads identities. Without keeping their identities secret, they can't continue the insurgency.
In the war on terror, if the enemy soliders can't hide their identities, then they can't do much good. If we knew who the 9-11 terrorists were they could never pulled off that plot. In order for Al Queda to hit us again it is imperative that their operative's identities remain secret so they can move among our population undetected.
So the most important information we can get is who the other insurgents are. I am not an expert on the subject, but it seems to me that both the Nazis and the Soviets (and many other totalitarian regimes) have been able to get insurgents to name the names of their collegues through torture. That is why many underground insurgencies each member is limited to the amont of other operatives that they know.
It also seems to me that these terrorists are not going to give up the names of their fellow terrorists voluntarily. Why would they give up the name of a fellow fighter for God (and probably a close friend ) unless forced to.
So it seems to me, in the war on terror, it is probable that torture will help disclose the identities of other terrorists, and thereby save lives.
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