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Posted in these groups: 
Torture
Intelligence
Torture Intelligence
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 18
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A few thoughts in response to intelligence and torture.
- The legal and political definitions of torture seem to be very different. Interesting that Senate Dems think torture occurred but that the Attorney General has not prosecuted any supposed torture crimes.
- Strategic intelligence capability is a combination of resources, people, capability, and policy over time. It is very easy to eliminate a capability but much harder to regenerate that capability once eliminated.
- How strategic decision makers use intelligence is a different issue from if there is an "intelligence failure". I think too much is being placed upon "intelligence failures" when the problem the failure of strategic decision makers to act upon the intelligence they are given. ISIS is but one example.
- Our Commander in Chief should have as many different "tools in his toolbox" as possible. The decision to use a tool is a different issue from whether or not to have the tool. Better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it.
- At the end of the day, I do not see this as a black and white issue. I see this as a cost / benefit / risk issue whereby a final decision is based upon an evaluation of these three criteria.
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- The legal and political definitions of torture seem to be very different. Interesting that Senate Dems think torture occurred but that the Attorney General has not prosecuted any supposed torture crimes.
- Strategic intelligence capability is a combination of resources, people, capability, and policy over time. It is very easy to eliminate a capability but much harder to regenerate that capability once eliminated.
- How strategic decision makers use intelligence is a different issue from if there is an "intelligence failure". I think too much is being placed upon "intelligence failures" when the problem the failure of strategic decision makers to act upon the intelligence they are given. ISIS is but one example.
- Our Commander in Chief should have as many different "tools in his toolbox" as possible. The decision to use a tool is a different issue from whether or not to have the tool. Better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it.
- At the end of the day, I do not see this as a black and white issue. I see this as a cost / benefit / risk issue whereby a final decision is based upon an evaluation of these three criteria.
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"Does intelligence failure justify torture?"
The thread topic reads like the old (dumb) joke
"Do you still beat your wife?"
Answering yes means your a wife beater.
Answering no means you used to be a wife beater
How about... does having an enemy combatant in your hands that has critical information justify using interrogation techniques some may find unpleasant.
YES it does.
Only the politically bent or naive think otherwise.
The thread topic reads like the old (dumb) joke
"Do you still beat your wife?"
Answering yes means your a wife beater.
Answering no means you used to be a wife beater
How about... does having an enemy combatant in your hands that has critical information justify using interrogation techniques some may find unpleasant.
YES it does.
Only the politically bent or naive think otherwise.
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SGM (Join to see)
SGM Marquez..exactly the point the article tends to make according to the situation at the time.
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1stSgt Nelson Kerr
So we should apologist to the Japanese generals we executed for torturing our people and pay penalties to their families?
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LTC Trent Klug
1stSgt Nelson Kerr Youmay want to research the difference between their waterboarding and what we used in the war on terror.
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I think it has to be taken on a case by case basis but if American lives are at stake, I believe we have to do what it takes to get what we need to take the terrorists down
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LTC Paul Labrador
Again, there is a difference between the uniformed military and clandestine organizations. There is a reason why we have a CIA that can do "black" ops and work in the gray area. As I have stated before, there are some things that need to be done that the public just doesn't need to know about and that we can plausibly deny.
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MSgt (Join to see)
Interesting how some things are justified in ones mind. In WWII we justify targeting civilians with our a-bombs to bring Japan to her knees and bring a end to war. We use Drones to target and kill our enemy and no declaration of war. But yet we balk at sleep deprivation, nakedness and water boarding to save lives. So the ends justify the means only in some cases. And how did we get OBL? Wait the ends justify the means in that one case, silly me!
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1stSgt Nelson Kerr
The last time we yorturedl someone successful it took over a year to break the man down that way and over 500 torture session, not exactly usefully in a ticking bomb situation. Some one who is being tortured will tell you what ever you want to hear, but as history has shown often people will simply tell lies.
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