Torture and America - 1313 Words

Torture and America Eric Lindsey Kaplan University Torture and America As the country goes through its tenth year of the war on terror one can look back and see some of the policy differences that has plagued this country when, as a nation, our young men are sent to war. Everything, in this author’s view needs to be on the table, and transparent. Of course, troops strength, strategy, and general war plans should be kept from the enemy, the need of informing our own people has been a tight rope that is not easy to balance on for any one person. This was especially true of the â€Å"enhanced interrogations† used by the Bush administration at the beginning of the War on Terror. What this paper plans to do is to explain the four greatest†¦show more content†¦Memos from the Department of Defense called for the implementation of enhanced interrogation techniques to begin immediately and to be sure â€Å"these are carried out†, these were in accordance with the White House. All of President Bush’s closest cabinet membe rs and national security advisers signed off on enhanced interrogation, believing that under the legal research conducted the techniques satisfied the legal standard as not being torture, (Bartz, 2006) Another player in this global debate of enhanced interrogation is the United Nations itself. In May of 2005, the UN issued an 11 page panel report on the adhearance of the United States to the anti-torture treaty. In the report the UN said that the United States should stop the process of enhanced interrogation saying that it was â€Å"nothing more than torture†. The US should stop its interrogations of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan by military and civilian staff and prosecute any staff found to have used any of the techniques specific to the enhanced interrogation. The UN report stopped short of admonishing the United States as the US â€Å"has a very good record on human rights† , (19 May 2006) Torture was banned by the UN in 1948, in its Universal Declaration of Human Rights of which not only isShow MoreRelated Limiting the Use of Torture in America Essay586 Words   |  3 Pagesgroups have discussed the issue of torture. The elements and basic working of torture have many against it saying it is too cruel and violates America’s 8th amendment. But the question does arise what do we do if there is a suspect found hours before the crime is committed? Or what do we do to those that are known to have committed the severe crime (ie. a serial killer that has three victims hidden away) how do we find the victims and such? The usage of torture on individuals that have a reasonableRead MoreTorture Is A Violation Of Human Rights1337 Words   |  6 Pages In discussions of torture, one controversial issue has been if it is right to use torture to interrogate suspect terrorist (s) if they have information that can save civilian and military lives. On one hand, some argue that torture is never justified no matter what the situation is. On the other hand, some even contend that torture is a violation of our human rights. Others even maintain that it is ineffective and only causes more conflict. Some even think that it should be used as punishmentRead MoreTorture1255 Words   |  6 PagesDelanders Thompson Ms.Solomon Honors English II May 9, 2014 Torture Used an Interrogation Strategy One of the most controversially talked about topics is should torture be used. Torture is one of the most extreme forms of human violence (Gernity). Torture dates back to 530 A.D, when Roman jurists espoused to virtues of torture as the highest form of truth (Green). Torture was a well-established American tradition (Gewen). Torture can be used to gain valuable information in a timely manner, andRead MoreWhat Does America Represent?1412 Words   |  6 PagesWhat does America represent? Most Americans would say that the United States represents freedom and liberty. According to the first amendment written in the constitution, all citizens have the freedom of religion, speech, and assembly. Others might respond that America represents opportunity. Many come to America for a new start and a new way of life and have the mindset that everything is possible with hard work and determination. You might even hear people say that America represents justice.Read MoreTorture, By Henry Porter And Seumas Miller913 Words   |  4 PagesThe use of torture to obtain information from a person is a practice that goes back thousands of years. In today’s society most individuals believe the practice of torture is a barbaric concept with no place in civilized society. But a question has arisen in the past few decades. Is it ever justifiable to torture a person in order to say the lives of other people? Since the events of September 11th, 2001, Americans have debated this question and many articles have been written on the subject. InRead MoreA Long Time Citizens1315 Words   |  6 PagesRegarding The Torture Of Others. She displays acts of the military and their leaders showing justification in their act of torture to enemies outside the United States. The act of generalizing a nation by an event in its history is not effective and weakens her argument. This even has shaken the nation’s image to the world, creating a different interpretation about America and its citizens, which might not be accurate. The photographs of the events that occurred in Abu Ghraib prison shows torture and abuseRead MoreTorture Allowed in the United States1408 Words   |  6 Pagessimilar incidents. Torture can be used to prevent these terrible incidents and save the lives of many people. Torture in the United States has been a debatable subject for many years now but after resent tragedies, the idea of torture of many American citizens has changed. It has also been debated over more after the attacks on September 9, 2001 than any other time in American history. Many fight the legalization of torture for moral and civil reasons but the truth is that torture is a lesser evilRead MoreTorture As An Intelligence Gathering Tool For Gaining Information938 Words   |  4 Pagesendure extreme pain and suffering in order to gain information. Whereas some are convinced that torture is inhumane and unethical and the information that is gained is at times inaccurate and a waste of time to rely on, others maintain that torture is a good way to retrieve information that is crucial to prevent future devastating events that may end many American lives. With that being said, I agree that torture is a fundamental tool for gaining information from a criminal in an aspect because torturingRead MoreUnited States Of Americ A Human Rights Defender For A Long Time Around The Global785 Words   |  4 Pages The United States of America had been known as a human rights defender for a long time around the global, but with the brutal torture actions performed by the Central Intelligence Agency, human rights that the America defended for so long seems to be questionable. Is it ok to violate international/ US laws as long as it benefits us? Moreover, does the so-called â€Å"enhanced† interrogation as effective as the CIA claims which helped gather valuable information from detainees that successfully help stoppedRead MoreThe Us Strategy For Winning The Global War On Terrorism1157 Words   |  5 Pagescreating an international environment inhospitable to terrorists and all those who support them† (Fogarty 2001). Meaning, that the fight against terrorism heavily relies on international cooperation. In order to achieve such a feat, nevertheless, America must be amiable by fellow governments and their citizens. Unfortunately, the reports and findings on GTMO makes it increasingly difficult for the American administration to do so, for the inhumane treatment makes citizens of other countries upset