Torture

Using advanced interception techniques, this blog can reproduce the interrogation of a terrorist subject.

MI5: Do you know about a plot to blow up part of the London Underground?

Abdul (not his real name): Yes, I know all about it.

MI5: When and where is it going to take place?

Abdul: I'm not telling you

MI5: Dash it! The bounder refuses to talk! Oh well, nothing for it, those innocent commuters are just going to have to die.

See anything wrong here? If we think someone knows about a plot to murder thousands of people, I want him waterboarded, surfboarded, beaten with a copy of the Independent and forced to listen to a recital of EU Directives until he spills the beans.

When you enter a war, either against another state or against 'terror', nasty things happen. Thousands of innocent people died in our bombing raids on Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and so on, but we're not allowed to beat up a terrorist suspect in order to save lives.

That is how we should see the arguments on torture.

PS I should mention that I don't think torture should be authorised, as in the recent American case, by intelligence officers. I think it should be authorised by a High Court judge on strictly pre-determined criteria.