On ‘enhanced’ interrogation

In her June 3 letter to the editor (“The obscenity of torture”), Suhail Shafi claims that torture has become commonplace in the United States’ war against terrorism. Reports from both critics and supporters of “torture” do not support her claim.

The six enhanced interrogation techniques enumerated by the CIA have been used on a relatively narrow front, and the most severe technique, waterboarding, was only used on three known high-profile terrorists.

The remaining 100 (approximate) unlawful combatants who were interrogated under the CIA program were subjected to much milder techniques.

When you compare these methods, targeted at an extremely small population, to the slaughter by explosives of more than 100,000 innocent civilians in Iraq by Muslim extremists, the actions of this country seem rather tame.

When compared to the drilled kneecaps, rapes, beheadings and family executions by Muslim extremists, what our country allows borders on pleasant treatment.

Enhanced interrogation techniques are not a slippery slope because they are not used on every detainee, and their goal is to obtain time-critical, specific information.

Was their use always successful? Probably not, but at the time, our leaders on both sides of the aisle thought that they were justified and were in the best interest of our country.

Under the current administration, waterboarding will no longer be allowed — that is, until the next time that we must obtain vital information quickly from an uncooperative extremist.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is probably the highest profile prisoner to be waterboarded, and he held out for two minutes before he began to talk about his leading role in the Sept. 11 attacks and other activities. Two minutes doesn’t seem like a long time when you compare it up to the Sept. 11 sequence of events that began with the first jet hitting the World Trade Center’s North Tower and ending hours later with the collapse of the South Tower.

Shafi ended her letter with the statement that torture is illegal under U.S. and international law and “under a whole slew of global treaties.” So is every act committed by Muslim extremists. I am tired of listening to people whine about the terrible acts of this country without them speaking one word of condemnation for the calculating, brutal and extremely obscene acts of jihadists.

I wish we could all link arms and sing Kumbaya, but that’s not going to happen any time soon, and if pouring water down the throat of a terrorist will save American lives or get us closer to one happy world, count me as a strong supporter of enhanced interrogation techniques.

William D. Brooks
Enterprise