Waterboarding, torture, and Reagan
Two worthwhile pieces about torture:
- Former FBI agent Ali Soufan speaks up about the ineffectiveness of waterboarding and other related topics.
- Andrew Sullivan points out that Reagan was opposed to torture; the UN Convention on Torture, which Reagan apparently strongly approved of, says "For the purposes of this Convention, torture means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person," and adds: "No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat or war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture." I'd say that's about as unequivocal and clear as it's possible to get.