Torture

An interesting take on the question of torture. It probably most closely follows my own viewpoint. A money quote:

An aside: The Geneva Conventions prohibit torture, and any form of "coercion." Customary and traditional interpretations of international law are binding, insofar as any vaguely written treaty with noble intentions can provide a useful legal standard. The customary and traditional interpretation of the "no coercion" clause is that it refers to actual torture, that you can say really really mean things to people and make them a bit physically uncomfortable, if that's what it takes to get useful tactical information from them. Our NATO allies all follow this doctrine; the Warsaw Pact followed a much looser version of it

Oddly enough, Andrew Sullivan of the 'wrapping Muslim detainees with the Israeli flag is torture' fame thinks the emailer 'gets it'. Exactly what does he get: that torture is ugly, but sometimes necessary or that being mean isn't torture?

Like I've said before: reading comprehension.