Romney says he's seek McCain's counsel -- he doesn't think it's appropriate for presidential candidates to say what interrogation techniques are going to be used.
"I oppose torture. I would not be in favor of torture in any way shape or form."
McCain: "Governor, I'm astonished that you haven't found out what waterboarding is. I'm astonished that you think such a torture could be inflicted on anyone in our capture.... If we're going to get the high ground in this world, we're not going to do what Pol Pot did, what is being done to Burmese monks..."
Romney: "I did not say and I do not say that I'm in favor of torture. I'm not going to specify the specific means.... I get that advice from Cofer Black (ex CIA counterintell ops), I get that advice from talking to former generals in our military..."
McCain: "Then you would have to advocate that we withdraw from the Geneva convention. It's clear.. that it's torture. I would hope that we would understand that life is not 24 and Jack Bauer. Life is that we use humane techniques that are effective... my friends., this is what America is all about... this is a defining issue."
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I had a room mate who was an Air Force interrogator, who worked in a program that subjected our own servicemen to waterboarding to prepare them for it should they be captured.
He said it didn’t hurt anyone but quickly triggered a primal survival instinct that forced almost everyone to panic and “go progressive,” cooperating at least a little, even if they didn’t give up very important information. Once people started down that road, he found them much easier to break, negotiating for more information in increments.
Whether other nations admit to it or not, I got the impression the technique was pretty standard procedure for information extraction because it is so quick and easy and the psychological impact is far more effective than simply inflicting pain on a subject.
Undoubtedly there are harmful variations of the technique, used for punishment and intimidation rather than information extraction, which would account for the WWII Japanese convictions.
Posted by WakeWashington | November 29, 2007 8:11 PM