TORTURE QUOTES IV

quotations about torture

Torture is one of the ultimate abuses of state power, and the use of extreme violence that exploits the powerlessness of individuals subject to state control is anathema to the rule of law. It easily becomes a license to target anyone who is declared to be a threat.

LUTZ OETTE

"Trump's embrace of torture is irresponsible and explosive", The Conversation, January 31, 2017


I am a supporter of waterboarding. It is not torture. Torture is really hurting someone. Waterboarding is just scaring someone, with no long-term injurious effects. It is a scare tactic that works.

LEO K. THORSNESS

"New York Times obituary for Vietnam POW and Medal of Honor recipient omits key detail: He supported waterboarding", American Enterprise Institute, May 4, 2017


Some may argue that we would be more effective if we sanctioned torture or other expedient methods to obtain information from the enemy. They would be wrong. Beyond the basic fact that such actions are illegal, history shows that they also are frequently neither useful nor necessary. Certainly, extreme physical action can make someone "talk;" however, what the individual says may be of questionable value.

DAVID H. PETRAEUS

Official Memo to Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen serving in Multi-National Force-Iraq, May 10, 2007