New Interrogation Division - Same Old Tactics?

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http://www.rso.cornell.edu/progressive/articles.php?id=113

After the events of 9/11 terrorism has become a hot subject in the media, and can almost be heard daily in conversation. Coming with the emergence of the threat of global terrorism, many issues surrounding it are also brought up. Interrogation/Torture is one of these things.

This article talks about Obama's new HIG, High-value detainee interrogation group, designed to gather intelligence in an efficient manner without compromising ethical values.

The biggest concern comes back to waterboarding,  Which is s a method of torture that consists of immobilizing the victim on his or her back with the head downwards on an incline , and then pouring water over the face and into all of the victim's breathing passages, causing the captive to believe he or she is dying. It is considered a form of torture by many legal experts. While the technique does not inevitably cause lasting physical damage, it can cause extreme pain, dry drowning, physical injuries , lasting psychological damage that could last for years.These psychological effects can include depression, panic attacks, PTSD and an intense aversion to water, even as simple as rain or the shower.

This is a very complex and controversial issue. Many people have strong feelings on both sides of the debate. Should these prisoners have rights? Why give rights to those who would take the lives of as many Americans as they possibly could?
 
The procedures in HIG would also call for an external third party to be present to monitor the interrogator's actions. This all seems promising in theory but is it even possible for HIG to operate effectively under these strict guidelines? The article also mentions that even after these procedures are in place, there is exceptions when torture is allowed to be used.
Is this HIG simply a political move to make it seem as though torture is not being used to please the left's constituents'?

While being a last resort, many high-value detainee's have provided vital information to CIA after waterboarding that has saved many American lives and revealed the location of fugitives that have been on the run for years.  

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