Introduction
Human Rights First is an organisation that challenges America as a nation to live by purported ideals. According to their website, torture of all forms are illegal under US and international law, and this extends to other forms of detainee abuse, including cruel, unfair and inhuman actions.
Torture for National Security
Torture was defined in 1987 by the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel and Inhuman or Degrading Punishment as an act that causes severe pain or suffering, be it physical or psychological, intentionally being inflicted on a person to gather information from them or someone else.
Many studies have revealed that torture leads to coerced confessions, which may not be effective. This could leave government authorities assuming they have the right perpetrators when the true villains are on the loose.
There is also the aspect of cruelty, which can affect those receiving torture and those doling it out as well. Torture has profound and near-permanent effects. If those meant to protect us start having cruel outlooks on life, it will affect the integrity of the organisations that employ them.
With this information in hand, it is difficult to side with those who say torture should be acceptable for national security. There are too many blurry lines for that argument to hold true. It should not become an acceptable practice.
Conclusion
While, as a race, we should be working on eliminating hatred and the hurting of one another, many nations want to legalize approved torture routines. It would bode better for humanity if we completely abolished the practice of torture.
Nonetheless, and not in a nod to condone it, torture is carried out by many governments and government agents. We must at the very least govern its use and ensure clear definitions and circumstances, especially if we cannot stop it entirely.
FAQs
Is torture legal in India?
India is among the few nations that have not ratified the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel and Inhuman or Degrading Punishment. (UNCAT 1987) Some laws protect Indian constituents from torture. However, these are often blatantly disregarded.
Is torture allowed anywhere?
Technically the answer is no. International laws are clear that the practice of torture cannot be carried out. However, many nations tend to carry out such practices regularly.
What is a threat to National Security?
Any activity, criminal or otherwise, that threatens the physical safety or well-being of a population or indeed threatens to destabilise the economy is classified as a national security threat.
What is an often overlooked type of national security threat?
While governments may be ramping up cyber security efforts, the lack of awareness and education means that people often overlook things such as malicious users accessing data that they should not and potentially selling it.
Who defines what kind of torture is acceptable?
International bodies, such as the UN and human rights organizations, have been fighting to abolish or at least regulate torture. The kind of torture used is another very debatable topic. It cannot be clearly defined as to who approves or defines acceptable torture. The reason is that torture is technically illegal everywhere in the world, so no form of it should be acceptable.
