Torture

I highly recommend this post: http://www.qando.net/ - Torture: The Case Against, and Prescription for..... Well worth of reading. The proposed solution to the torture problem is interesting:

My preferred method of dealing with these terror prisoners would be to get two captains and a major together as a tribunal, declare them to be unlawful combatants, and put them in front of a firing squad. Now, maybe, because we're nice guys, we could let them know that if any of them give us verifiable, useful information, then we'll commute their sentences, and won't shoot them. Otherwise, however, it's a blindfold and a last cigarette for the lot of 'em. The difference of course, is that doing so would be legal.

That is of course correct. Based upon the Geneva convention it is perfectly legal to execute an unlawful combatant. Certainly though, this solution wouldn't win us any friends from those who oppose the war, and I doubt it would win friends among the Iraqi or Afghan people either. Another bit about the post that trouble me is it complains about 'hiding' prisoners from the International Red Cross. While I certainly agree that this tactic is problematic, and can lead to abuses, I can also see very good reasons for engaging is such a tactic. If we capture Jeff the terrorist, and Jeff agrees to cooperate and give up his friends, and perhaps more importantly, his contact methods, keeping the fact that Jeff has been captured secret is very important. Is this worth the risk that if we keep Jeff's capture secret he, or others like him, might end up secretly being abused? I am not sure. The entire issue is complex in my opinion. However, the level and severity of documented abuses, and the lightness of many of the sentences handed down so far is a serious problem, and it behooves those of us who are supporters of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan to take this problem seriously. (via Instapundit)