SUSPECT TORTURE

Presentation by: Nathan, Steph, Lexus

Is the use of torture against terrorist suspects ever justified? 

noun -- the act of inflicting excruciating pain, as punishment or revenge, as a means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty. 

as per Dictionary.com

Sleep deprivation, starvation, rectal feeding, water boarding, ice baths, (and in some cases, rape, beatings, and pouring dangerous chemicals on the detainees)  

Khalid Shaykh Mohammad was kept awake for 180 hours.

Where are people tortured in the US?

Currently, terrorist suspects are being tortured in Guantanamo Bay prison camp, on a Naval base in Cuba.   

Guantanamo Bay Detention Center :

Opening : January 2002

Why open it : it “ was established to detain extraordinarily dangerous people, to interrogate detainees in an optimal setting, and to prosecute detainees for war crimes”

 

“More than four in ten Americans (43%) say that the use of torture can be justified to gain key information. However 54% Americans say torture is never or rarely justified.”

1) Some believe that torture is an ethical necessity in war time in our war on terror.

2) Torture obtains information in a timely manner.

3) Torture is humane in comparison to what (suspected) terrorists do to American soldiers.

4) Torture is required to keep America safe.

 

 

 

 

1) Information obtained from terrorists is often false because the suspect just wants to stop the pain.

2) Torture is against many international laws and agreements. 3) Torture is immoral, even if the opposing country practices it.

4) In many cases, information obtained during torture is often not legal to use in court.  

Donald Trump

Businessman turned presidential nominee said that he would, "bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding," when he was asked about torture in a debate.

Dick Cheney

The former vice president has been a supporter of "enhanced interrogation techniques" ever since their widespread use after 9/11. 

Bernie Sanders

Senator and presidential nominee has stated that, "Of course we must aggressively pursue international terrorists who would do us harm, but we must do so in a way that is consistent with the basic respect for human rights which makes us proud to be Americans. The United States must not engage in torture."

President Obama

The president has presented a plan to Congress to shut down Guantanamo Detention Center. He, along with many others, wishes to move the country forward from war time behaviors.

Class Discussion Questions

Should America practice torture?

Is torture a moral practice?

Are there only certain circumstances in which suspects should be tortured?

Is the argument that "other countries are torturing our soldiers, so we should torture suspects," a sound idea?

http://www.debate.org/torture/​

http://tv.amnesty.org.uk/2011/07/28/5-arguments-torture/

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/23/politics/guantanamo-bay-obama-prison-closure-plan/

http://prospect.org/article/has-gop-become-pro-torture-party

http://www.factcheck.org/2014/12/cheneys-tortured-facts/

http://www.pewresearch.org/daily-number/torture-jus

tified/

http://www.thenation.com/article/senate-investigation-bush-era-torture-erupts-constitutional-crisis/