The Ethics of Interrogation: Torture and Public Management

Abstract

Although some military officers obviously saw harsh interrogation techniques and torture as essential in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, many in the military believe that the use of torture threatens the professionalism of the American military and puts U.S. forces in danger of being tortured if they are captured. Torture is illegal under international and U.S. law, yet political guidance after the 9/11 terrorist attacks resulted in a limited number of U.S. personnel perpetrating torture and using harsh interrogation techniques at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan; and Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The evidence comes from a range of sources, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and Amnesty International, as well as the personal accounts of interrogators, victims of torture, and the U.S. military itself.1 This chapter examines the basis for this behavior, the efficacy of it, and the political guidance that gave rise to these unlawful techniques.