Torture Efficacy
Efficacy of Torture
Introduction to Torture Efficacy
Despite CAT’s categorical prohibition on the use of torture, some legal experts, such as Harvard University law professor Alan Dershowitz, have proposed a detailed interrogation code that could permit torture only in a situation when “a captured terrorist knows the location of a ticking bomb that threatens hundreds of innocent lives.” Opponents of the use of torture under any circumstances, however, argue that throughout history interrogators have found that torture often proves ineffective for securing information. Nazi Germany’s Gestapo reportedly discovered that during World War II, Resistance fighters (nonuniformed partisans or guerrilla fighters) rarely gave accurate information under torture. Those with a determined will or psychological mindset defied the pain, and those who could not endure the pain made up anything to make it stop or tried to determine what their interrogators wanted to hear.
Opponents of torture also argue that the information given by a torture victim must be verified, which can be time-consuming and can make the “ticking bomb” scenario pointless. Even the CIA’s KUBARK manual acknowledged that torture is a “hit or miss” proposition and often “a waste of time and energy.” And the U.S. Army’s Field Manual notes: “Experience indicates that the use of force is not necessary to gain the cooperation of sources for interrogation. Therefore, the use of force is a poor technique, as it yields unreliable results, may damage subsequent collection efforts, and can induce the source to say whatever he thinks the interrogator wants to hear.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) advocates an approach that seeks to enlist a suspect’s cooperation. Finally, opponents of torture in all circumstances argue that once torture is permitted for any reason it becomes a slippery slope, opening the door to even greater abuse.” (1)
Resources
Notes and References
- Information about Torture Efficacy in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia
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