The Deceitful Ways of Torture

Jorge Equeda

6/28/07

WRC1023

Bravo

The Deceitful Ways of Torture

Imagine being innocent, but accused of a kidnapping. Then chained to the ceiling so that you can not sit down for more than twenty four hours because you don’t have the information to find the captive that is going to die if not found soon. How long would the interrogator keep you standing until he realizes that you are innocent? The United Nations classifies this as way of torture. No country has proven one hundred percent that torture has been effective to get information; that some government officials say that it has given them. Even in times like today were terrorists’ risks their own lives to complete their objective. There is no justification for any type of torture in any circumstances.

One country that is obliged to follow laws is the United States; it was set-up to have democracy and human rights. The day it steeps down to the acts of torture, it takes away the values that the nation inherited. The Geneva Convention defines torture to be the administration of severe pain or discomfort (Masci 350). The United States needs to abide by international law to keep the “big brother” status that it has on poor developing countries. As one of the super eight powers of the world, it has the responsibility to set an example. The “U.S.’s credibility will be nil when it tries to get other countries to improve their human rights records, we’ve been a leader in the fight to stop torture, and we’ve had some real successes, but using that kind of moral leverage requires clarity on our part (Masci 350). The whole reason the United States went in to Iraq was to stop and remove Saddam Hussein from doing terrorists acts like torture. According to “the state department’s human rights report on Iraq in 2001, lists fifteen kinds of torture were practiced including prolonged sleep deprivation and verbal threats to family members” (Masci 350). The United States needs to stay away from any type of ambiguity that they use torture. For Example, allegations were brought upon them that they did the same to suspected terrorists, which they did imprison the guilty parties for torture.

Another reason torture is not justified is vaguely has it ever been proven that torture even works. For example, an Al Qaeda operative made up evidence to