Politics: Politics of War And Torture Of Terrorists: More Important Than Torture Is If We Are Getting Good Information From Terrorists

The problem is getting good information. Someone who is being tortured is likely to tell you what you want to know, not what he knows. In the instance to which you refer, sure you do all you can to get crucial information..which may lead into torture. Then you deal with the anti-torture law later. Under special critical circumstances every tool may be used. However, as policy toward "suspected terrorists" this doesn't work.

Skilled interrogators use many techniques of rewards and punishments. Usually the punishments don't require torture. Over-used, torture becomes an end in itself. When used by non-professionals or sadists...as has happened, there is no practical outcome. A lot of people could have been saved on 9/11, not because we didn't have suspects in our hands, but because intelligence which could have prevented the attacks wasn't shared.

To win the war against further attacks, we need covert operations and human intel. Money was cut for such operations way back. Now we have to build covert operations, training a whole new group of people with the skills required.