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Why Torture Is BadSunday, Jan. 22, 2006 4:09 AMA military court has found Army Chief Warrant Officer Lewis Welshofer, Jr. guilty of negligent homicide in the death of an Iraqi general whom Welshofer was questioning. It seems Chief Welshofer believed Abed Hamed Mowhoush, an Iraqi Major General, had essential information on the insurgency. So he began with a straightforward interview, but eventually progressed to beatings, simulated drownings, and finally, asphyxiation - he put a sleeping bag over the prisoner's head and sat on him. Consequently, the prisoner dies without revealing any useful information (possibly because he didn't have any). Welshofer believed that approved techniques were relics of Cold War-era doctrine, and insufficient to the task. One officer advised Chief Welshofter to, "take a deep breath and remember who we are." Well, hallelujah! Someone else understands that if we stoop to torture and other behaviors usually ascribed to the bad guys, we've sold out our ideals, our integrity, and our morals. Not much left to sell after that, except, perhaps, our souls.
Brin - 2006-01-22 13:09:25 A quote from Babylon 5 comes to mind: "When you obssess with the enemy, you become the enemy."
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