Waterboarding - Torture?

[Nomrombom]

There have also been deaths directly related to it - usually "dry drowning" or drowning far from any body of water. It is possible to actually drown while being waterboarded.

[Dheginsea]

Ya in my opinion its definetly torture.

Why?

I know you're not asking me, but I'll answer that question anyway.

 

Torture is the infliction of harm on an individual for a purpose other than the infliction of harm itself, such as the extraction of information. Waterboarding causes the perception of harm, in this case drowning. Harm is subjective, so the perceived harm that waterboarding inflicts is equivalent to actual harm. Waterboarding is therefore torture.

 

If your definition of torture doesn't include waterboarding, it is incorrect or you have misunderstood it.

 

Often these things just need a little logic.

 

Exactly what I would have said, also have you ever felt what drowning feels like? Having that feeling forcefully inflicted on you would be a horrible experience. Also i believe that you said that torture could be defined as the threat that another person will imminently be subjected to death, this feeling of drowning could cause the detainee to believe that the threat of death is real. I believe you could then justify waterboarding as torture.

 

On a side note why is waterboarding supposedly not a word?