In the ongoing debate about torture, that is whether the U.S. should torture Al Qaeda members to gain information that might prevent future terrorist attacks, there is one option that I have not heard much talk about. Why not let the Israelis do it? I know that we've turned suspected terrorists over to the Egyptians in the past because of their torture friendly attitudes but frankly I don't have complete confidence in that country or its government. The Israelis have a great deal of experience with interrogation and I trust that any and all information gleaned would be swiftly passed along to us. In the past the mere threat of handing suspects over to them was enough to loosen lips:
In 1995, Philippine intelligence agents tortured Abdul Hakim Murad, whom they arrested after he blew up his apartment making bombs. The agents threw a chair at Murad’s head, broke his ribs, forced water into his mouth, and put cigarettes out on his genitals, but Murad didn’t speak until agents masquerading as the Mossad threatened to take him back to Israel for some real questioning. Murad named names. His confession included details of a plot to kill Pope John Paul II, as well as plots to crash 11 US airliners into the ocean and fly an airplane into the CIA headquarters in Langley, Va. His co-conspirator Ramzi Yousef was later convicted for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.”
I am against the United States using torture but it has proven to be a very effective tool against terrorism. The Israelis already use it today so why not allow them to do the "dirty work" for us? Isn't that what friends are for?
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