Where do you stand on the issue of torture?

I read over this thread a few times before deciding to write a reply. I know it was first posted over a year ago but hey, it came up on feed so here we go.

War is not pretty. War is not nice. Our enemies are neither nice or friendly. Those of us that been in combat know this all to well. We have seen the bodies of Americans hang from bridges. We have seen children used as human shields or instruments of destruction. This is war, and while you may or may not agree with 100% of what is done, it's just the nature of the beast. Does it excuse the behavior? No it does not. Does it give us a free license to act how ever we want? No it does not. Yet, the nature of war has since the first time a human picked up a rock and threw it at another human has always been ugly. Sure we have "rules" and "codes of conduct" but we know know that those rules are only as good as the paper they are written on when the enemy refuses to follow them too.

Is torture or its products any good? It can be. Should it continue? I would say in some ways it should but in others it shouldn't. Pulling the finger nails out of the hands of someone or not allowing them sleep or food can of course lead someone to talk but is that what we are reduced to in a time of war? Are we forced to discard our decent human behavior in the name of freedom to gather what we hope is good intel from the enemy? What are your thoughts on torture if it is prove that it's products enabled you and your team t find the location of a huge enemy stronghold and remove that from the battlefield saving thousands of lives including your own?

War is a double edge sword. It is raw, nasty and does not say sorry. And those of us that have been asked to do some things are forced to pay the everlasting price.

i have no issue with us torturing people who want to kill us.

I firmly believe that torture by whatever means is necessary to gain information required to protect our troops. Must this nation be the only one which plays by the rules of the Geneva Convention when most others do not? Maybe it is extreme cruelty, but then is that not what war is?

Torture is one of the most evil and reprehensible things one human being can do to another. It should never be used, anyone caught torturing their fellow human beings should be severely punished. There is no justification for torture, just as there is no justification for rape.

Here's the deal brotha..... I have no problem on torturing anyone who is not American, or is about to do harm to our country.
I have plenty of years...so I heard all sides of the argument. If they not going to follow the rules...then we shouldn't.
think about it....remember over in the sandbox if u even reached for a 9mm or your knife in front of the hajjis....they respected you...cuz they know what was coming next....don't know why...they didn't do that if you pointed a rifle at them....I think saddam probably tortured them so much they knew what was coming.
that my take though....opinions are like you know what....everyone got one ;)

What did these tactics accomplish? Please give me an example that doesn't throw back to the Salem Witch Trials? One person rats out their neighbor who then tells on a citizen they don't like...eventually it may have lead to burning a pagan women at the stake for using funny herbs to treat a child's cough. Are we getting solid leads or just being led? If terrorists inspired us to except this as a go to tactic were losing the moral high ground. Our humanity is worth more than finding a hard drive.

When the fighters and leaders of ISIL are willing to fight to the last man, woman and child in order to see their goals accomplished, there is no means of dealing with them other than destroying them to the last man, woman and child. As Michael Caine said in The Dark Knight, "They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn." It's a sad and harsh reality, but it is reality nonetheless. I firmly believe that when our enemies are willing to use any and all means against us, we should be willing to entertain the same options against them. Just my two cents.

Torture is a subjective term. The media sometimes polarizes the public, but intelligence tactics and actions are not largely understood by the General public. Tactics when dealing with the enemy are used and required as the situation dictates

Most of us, including me, have had little to no experience with torture. There may be an early point when essential information is needed quickly, but torture quickly results in diminishing returns as folks say whatever it takes to stop it. Everyone eventually has a breaking point. If time is of the essence, the ability to rate credible from dreck is also hard to do and can be subjective. History has way too notable instances of how poorly torture delivers. Look to the French in Algeria for extensive studies. Do your own research on this because we all have are own opinions in addition to the guidance from our military justice system as well as the accepted international applications from the Law of War. Knowing the background and building relations with sources is a better, more reliable technique when time is not driving the need for information. It leaves a far better legacy afterwards as well.

I don't make a habit of wasting my time, or showing off my intellect by demeaning an individuals lack of knowledge on any topic. Marucci typed "your last two sentences are unintelligible and make no sense".

PFC Minchey? If you seek answers, put it in the form of a direct question. How people "feel" about EIT leave's it open for "opinion". Marucci I say this; instead of showing what you think you know about it, stay on topic, teach these young ones properly, or keep your personal "superior" attitude to yourself.

Depending on the response I receive, positive will assist me in deciding how much effort I should place on this topic. If others want to learn from research, and facts I'll be glad to share it. We'll call the uploaded jpg - a teaser for interest.