Tuesday, January 3, 2006
Rethink position on torture

By Joseph A. Tomain
Guest columnist


Peter Bronson's Dec. 27 column "Torture sure beats doing nothing" fails to accurately frame the issue. America's foreign policy options are not limited to either doing nothing or torturing detainees. Four key points must be considered when discussing what America's policy should be on the treatment of detainees:

Sen. John McCain's Anti-Torture Amendment shows that this is not a partisan issue. McCain - a Vietnam veteran, a former prisoner of war and a Republican - introduced legislation banning the use of torture. The Republican-controlled Senate approved McCain's bill by a vote of 90-9. McCain's firsthand knowledge of war, coupled with his drive to pass the Anti-Torture Amendment despite pressure from the White House to carve out exceptions for the CIA, should cause Americans to question whether more discussion on the use of torture is necessary. At the very least, McCain's actions and the Senate's support for his legislation show that torture is not a partisan issue.

Evidence shows that torture is not a successful method to gain reliable information. Peter Bauer, an Army interrogator during the end of the Cold War and the beginning the Gulf War, was quoted as saying that "it quickly became evident, even in my early days of resistance training, that when [detainees are] subjected to harsh treatment, the tendency is indeed to say whatever the subject believes will make the abuse stop. And that, I learned, is generally not the truth." Retired Army Col. Jack Jacobs said that "[w]e get much more information if we treat people properly."

In making its case for war, the Bush administration based a crucial piece of pre-war intelligence about the alleged link between al-Qaida and Iraq on statements made by Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi. Libi made these statements while in custody in Egypt and, according to him, while he was being tortured. As we now know and the administration admits, there was no link between Al-Qaida and Iraq. Not only is torture ineffective, it also creates the risk of going to war on false information.

Torture contradicts American values. Without doubt, a strong military is necessary to fight our enemies and protect America. Equally without doubt, military force alone will not bring the peace and prosperity Americans desire and deserve. By lowering our standards, we give a victory to terrorists and others that wish to see America fall. Perhaps we can never change the hearts and minds of suicide bombers, but we can change the hearts and minds of Europeans, Arabs and Asians who participate in international politics and the global economy.

If America adopts a foreign policy supporting torture, changing hearts and minds becomes much harder. After 9/11, America enjoyed more international support than ever before. Our policies since 9/11 have played a significant role in squandering that support. Only by remaining true to our deeply ingrained American values can we earn back the world's respect. To be clear, we do not seek to change hearts and minds simply so that America will be loved. We need to change hearts and minds so that America can be effective in carrying out its policies. Admonishing the use of torture is a necessary step to prove that we practice what we preach.

Torture is morally wrong. In a nation where Christian and other religious values have recently played an important role in many political and social discussions, these values must be considered when discussing the use of torture. Certainly, the Prince of Peace would not condone the use of torture.

Bronson and the Foreign Policy Leadership Council agree that "[d]oing nothing is not an option." There are, however, more choices than torture or doing nothing when it comes to developing an effective foreign policy that is in line with American and moral values.

Protecting the homeland and Americans everywhere is a serious issue. It's time that citizens, journalists and our leaders make an honest effort to confront the challenges to our security. This challenge requires us to think more deeply about the effectiveness of torture, as well as the implications for American security in the future.

Joseph A. Tomain, former dean of the University of Cincinnati School of Law, is an attorney at Frost Brown Todd and the communications chair for the Foreign Policy Leadership Council of Greater Cincinnati. E-mail him at jtomain@fbtlaw.com.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...30306/1021/EDIT