Torturous Decisions

As the country and its new leadership in Washington grapple with the unprecedented challenges presented by the current economic crisis and ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan/Pakistan and Iraq, the media have given varying levels of attention to the issue of torture (or, depending on the source, "harsh interrogation techniques") implemented by intelligence officials on terror suspects during the previous Administration. While I believe President Obama is right to prefer to focus on the most pressing issue of the day--hastening economic recovery--and to look ahead rather than to the past, I am equally pleased that he has decided not to attempt to block potential investigations into wrongdoing by those who devised these un-American tactics.

There is certainly legitimate debate over who exactly should be brought to justice for the use of these techniques. It now appears that those who actually conducted acts of torture will not necessarily be pursued. Granted, their Nuremberg-esque "We were just following orders" defense is worrisome. To be fair, though, one certainly cannot compare desperation to retrieve information that may save lives to the horrors perpetrated on countless innocents by the Nazis prior to and during World War II. I therefore find it a good balance to investigate those who drafted and approved the use of these interrogation methods.

The United States must seize the opportunity presented by the new-found goodwill from the rest of the world to proclaim unambiguously that it does not engage in torture. While the effectiveness of torture is debatable, it is undeniably true--regardless of how petulantly Dick Cheney protests--that when Americans employ these strategies, they severely compromise their ability to claim any moral high ground and to reduce the chances that their own soldiers and operatives will be subjected to such treatment by our enemies. Moreover, acts of torture perpetrated by Americans almost certainly increases the ranks of those who would do us harm. If abandoning torture means that our only option is to be twice as smart and two steps ahead of the terrorists who plot against us, then so be it. The United States has the best intelligence-gathering agencies in the world and does not need to sink to levels of barbarism to ensure the safety of its citizens and allies.

It is my hope that, even if no one ends up serving time as a consequence of these inquiries, at the very least serious questions will be asked and answered regarding the logic behind such decison-making and it will be absolutely clear that going forward, this great nation will live up to its own values and principles on matters of justice and the rule of law.