The Convention Against Torture Essay

Torture is commonly practiced all over the world, but most notably in the Guantánamo bay detention center in Cuba. It is most commonly used on prisoners of war to obtain useful enemy information, but it is not limited to that as it is practiced in normal prisons and jails. After experiencing torture, people don’t possess the same mindset. These (cruel ) sessions of

The War on Terror has produced several different viewpoints on the utilization of torture and its effectiveness as a means to elicit information. A main argument has been supplied that torture is ineffective in its purpose to gather information from the victim. The usefulness of torture has been questioned because prisoners might use false information to elude their torturers, which has occurred in previous cases of torture. It has also been supposed that torture is necessary in order to use the information to save many lives. Torture has been compared to civil disobedience. In addition, the argument has been raised that torture is immoral and inhumane. Lastly, Some say that the acts are not even regarded as torture.

In contrast, some individuals may debate that torture and even some more minuscule forms of torture can be beneficial to obtaining the information needed. It is debated that torture has been used in a large portion of political systems in history, and that the “degree” of torture is a significant component when deciphering right vs. wrong. Moher argues that in a political system where torture is justifiable and legal, the torture used would be less extreme than what it is today (Moher, 2013). It is reasoned that different degrees of torture are more acceptable than others, in that some are less psychologically and physically harming. A

Torture is something that is known as wrong internationally. Torture is “deliberate, systematic or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons acting on the orders of authority, to force a person to yield information, to confess, or any other reason” (World Medical Association, 1975, pg.1). There is a general consensus that there is a right to be free from any kind of torture as it can be found in many different human rights treaties around the world. The treaties show that all of the thoughts about torture are pointing away from the right to torture someone no matter what the case

“The one lesson we 've learned from history is that we have not learned any of history 's lessons” (Unknown Author, n.d.). The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the use of Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EITs) such as “waterboarding” and extraordinary rendition (aka “black sites”) by CIA agents for American intelligence interests and to analyze the drastically apposing views of the legalities, morality, and effectiveness of these methods. Is the CIA’s use of EITs and extraordinary rendition equivalent to torture, and therefore, acts in violation of international law? The definition of “torture” under statute 18 U.S.C. 2340 states, “torture” means an act committed by a person acting under the color of law specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering (other than pain or suffering incidental to lawful sanctions) upon another person within his custody or physical control” (United States Code, 2011). This definition expands with specific identifying characteristics of an act and varies to include humiliation of an individual. Of course, pain and suffering is a subjective experience. The worlds historical practice of “torture” reinforces lessons that human’s imaginative capacity for inflicting pain and terror on our fellow human is disgracefully boundless; yet, parallel behaviors of violence and humiliation reemerge with disturbing regularity (Smith, 2013).

On December 9, 2014, a 528 page document was released to the public known as the “CIA Torture Report”. It contains details of the CIA’s (Central Intelligence Agency) “enhanced” interrogation. The document, which is actually a summary of the 6,700 page report states that the United States, has been torturing its detainees in foreign countries in order to get confessions or answers from them. The many tactics used by the CIA include but not limited to, facial and abdominal slaps, rectal “feeding” and/or rehydration, ice-water baths, sleep deprivation for more than a week, shackling in stress positions, isolation, sensory deprivation, water-boarding, and walling (being slammed against a wall repeatedly). Detainees were also told that their families would be harmed, and/or sexually assaulted. Many Americans are against this “enhanced” interrogation, others feel it is necessary.

An American pragmatist and feminist, Hull-House founder Jane Addams (1860-1935) came of age in time of increasing tensions and division between segments of the American society, a division that was reflected in debates about educational reform. In the midst of this diversity, Addams saw the profoundly interdependent nature of all social and political interaction, and she aligned her efforts to support, emphasize and increase this interdependence. Education was one of the ways she relied on to overcome class disparity, as well as to increase interaction between classes. Her theories about the interdependent nature of living in a democracy provided a backdrop for her educational theory. Education, she thought, needed to produce people who

Duality is the ghost of man. It haunts man in unperceivable matters such as the right and left brain (Melina par 1). Although duality may not make complete monsters out of humans, as seen in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”, which is the first science fiction work (Stableford par 7), it can still summon unimaginable evils from within us all. This is especially seen in the Gothic and fictitious novella known as Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” This book contrast his previous works such as Treasure Island, an adventure tale (Robert Louis Stevenson par 9); however, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is also an adventure tale in its own right.

It is known in American history that the colored people have not been accepted in society. I too have not been accepted in a group because of my skin color, that is one example of why true racial and social equality will never be achieved in America. As suggested in “To Kill A Mockingbird” racial inequality has been around for centuries and to this day the white community has not fully seen the error of their ways. The american society has been that way and the American society will never change without a strong leader.

Throughout the last 15 years of operation, Guantanamo Bay has faced endless criticism from both international countries and the US. The biggest issue is the legal “black hole” that exists at Guantanamo Bay and the concern over interrogation techniques and torture. We are able to torture prisoners because of how George W Bush described the war. “Bush thought it was a new kind of war and that this meant the Americans didn’t need adhere the rules of the Geneva Convention,” explains Professor Honigsberg from the University of San Francisco. The convention says prisoners of war must be treated humanely during a war. “But Bush didn’t call them ‘prisoners of war’ but ‘enemy combatants’. This was how a

In the United States legal system, torture is currently defined as “an act committed by a person acting under the color of law specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering (other than pain or suffering incidental to lawful sanctions) upon another person within his custody or physical control.” as defined by Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (US Code, 1) Though this is a seemingly black and white definition, the conditional “…other than pain or suffering incidental to lawful sanctions…” have led many to question what precisely this entails. In other words, what are the lawful sanctions that permit such acts? Are they ethically right? Where is the line drawn as torture

Is there enough unfair detainment and torture at the Guantanamo Bay prison to shut it down? Many of the prisoners that are held there are subject to torture and unfair imprisonment, which violates two human rights. This is a vital reason for closing the Guantanamo Bay prison. Freedom from torture is an important human right because if we didn’t have it, even more people would be in unnecessary and excruciating pain, and even in prison, people deserve a certain amount of comfort in their daily life. Freedom from unfair detainment is another important human right, because it is inhumane to imprison people arbitrarily. Camp 22 is a historical example of where the rights to no torture and no unfair detainment were violated. Camp 22 was a concentration camp in North Korea. This concentration camp was recently shut down. To stop torture and unfair detainment all of the known prisons who hold victims of torture and unfair detainment should be shut down, just like Camp 22 in North Korea. It would be a long shot, but there aren’t many other options to help stop these human rights violations, especially around the world. Guantanamo Bay prison should be shut down due to the torture and unfair detainment occurring there.

A Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture done just a week before this poll concluded that severe interrogation techniques were not an effective means of acquiring intelligence. This report also found that more than two dozen detainees were wrongly held (Goldman, Adam, and Peyton Craighill). This means that this people were wrongly held against their will in a foreign country without the chance of a fair trial. Most people in Guantanamo Bay are actually terrible criminals, but that doesn’t give the United States the right to torture this people as punishment and as a way to find information. Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of 9/11, was subjected to waterboarding, or simulated drowning, 183 times (Goldman, Adam, and Peyton Craighill). 183 times, at one point one has to wonder if the information from someone almost drowned 183 can be really that

Today, I will seek to prove that not only does the United States have a history of torturing terrorism suspects by methods including waterboarding, sleep deprivation, solitary confinement, and threats to the self or the family, but also that the use of such torture is illegal according to United States and international law. I will also argue that the United States is guilty of the illegal extraordinary rendition of terrorist suspects. Further, I will argue that current standards for investigating terrorism suspects jeopardizes civil liberties under section 215 of the USA Patriot Act.

In the United States, one of the major methods in obtaining crucial information has been through the use of Guantanamo Bay. While many have condemned of the torture that is believed to occur there, not only does Guantanamo Bay comply with national and international standards, but it also complies with Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions (Meese 1) which states