Would it be torture to hang someone out of a 20th-floor window and threaten to drop them? Would it be torture to put somone's head in a plastic bag, shutting off their air supply till they passed out, and to do this repeatedly? Is it torture to make someone stand for hours on end, force them back on their feet whenever they fall, wake them whenever they fall asleep? Is it torture to make as if to sever a limb with a chain saw, drawing back at the the last moment, but repeating the exercise over and again on a naked and helpless person? I invent nothing here: these are all practices I have read of. Is waterboarding torture?
Waterboarding consists of immobilizing an individual on his or her back, with the head inclined downward, and pouring water over the face to force the inhalation of water... and induce the sensation of drowning.That such a thing can be a matter for discussion is appalling and contemptible. It inspires disgust. It shames those who prevaricate about it. It is a stain upon a great democracy.