Why it's stupid -- besides immoral -- to torture people

"Anyone who fights for Al Qaeda is guilty of war crimes, as Al Qaeda has no right to engage in war and has adopted a policy and practice of targeting civilians. In theory, we should be able to try them, convict them and imprison them.

But more than four years after President Bush created military tribunals, not a single case has gone to trial. Only a handful of the hundreds of detainees have even been charged. One probable reason for the military's reluctance is the real risk that any trial will turn into a trial of the United States' own interrogation practices. Although the military tribunal rules do not exclude the use of testimony extracted by torture, no trial will ever be viewed as legitimate if it allows such testimony, and defense lawyers are certain to make this a central issue in any proceeding." -- Prof. David Cole