IS TORTURE THE LAST RESORT?

Terrorists have killed thousands of people across the
globe. These deaths are undeserved, and as a result
many people push for the torture of terrorists in order to
uncover information to prevent future attacks. The
torture debate, however, is hugely controversial subject
in modern society.
Arguments in Favor of the Torture Debate
First, there are a number of advantages to torturing
terrorism suspects. Information obtained from terrorists
is often incredibly time-sensitive. The information
obtained through torture is used for a variety of
purposes. If information is given about an attack taking
place in the future, military and government officials can
utilize that information in a timely manner to prepare for
an attack. Torture allows officials to obtain the
information in a timely fashion. Next, many argue that
terrorists are deserving of some extra punishment as a
result of all the death and misery that they have
caused. Torture is a means of providing that extra
punishment.
Torture is also justified by many because it is still
relatively humane compared to what terrorists to do
soldiers they capture themselves. Torture is considered
a good method to turn to when needed information is
not disclosed by terrorists. Lastly, when tortured, a
subject may supply information that was not even
requested by the interrogator. This information is often
incredibly useful, but officials do not always know the
right questions to ask.
Arguments Against the Torture Debate
While there are definitely some advantages for the
torture of terrorists, there are also many disadvantages.
Torture is considered by many experts as both
impractical and ineffective. When people are tortured,
the information supplied is often falsified; the person
undergoing torture does not have an ultimate goal of
supplying accurate information. Indeed, most torture
victims are not even capable of giving accurate
information. Instead, their main goal is simply to stop
the torture in order to allow pain or stress levels to
return to normal levels. Another disadvantage is the
high rate of attrition among interrogators. It is hard to
keep the interrogators psychologically sound when they
partake in such difficult activities.
Other disadvantages in regard to the torture debate
revolve around the psychology of interrogation regarding
the subject of the questioning. Those undergoing
interrogation and torture may consider themselves as
heroes, not criminals. Interrogators who torture are
perceived as dirty and immoral, making the subject even
more resistant to yield information. Last, torture causes
an array of negative opinions. Those who undertake
practices involving torture are perceived as evil, swaying
public and international opinion and potentially causing
a great number of negative effects.