Those who authorized and engaged in torture should not be able to escape punishment because they thought that they were acting to protect national security. The Senate report expresses grave doubt as to whether the torture led to useful information. But that is beside the point. The ends came to justify the means, and the means were inhumane and abhorrent. The debate should not be about whether the torture worked. The federal criminal law and the treaty have no exception for effective torture. Perhaps most of all, criminal prosecutions are needed to make sure that this does not happen again. That would send a message to all government officials: Those who plan, authorize and engage in torture will be criminally punished.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 18:33:26 +0000
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