A somewhat enlightening look at torture in the Iraq War

While not exactly a friendly gesture, the methods of 'torture' employed in U.S. facilities in Iraq are not what most people think. When people think of torture, most think of dismemberment, physical pain, etc. etc. This is not what is being used.
The 'torture' that we've heard so much about, apparently, consists of: being restrained in a chair for a couple of hours; prolonged exposure to unpleasant odors; exposure to unpleasant climates; and the like. Some of it is used as punishment for misbehavior--like injuring guards. Some of it is used to get information--information, by the way, that saves the lives of U.S. soldiers. While some forms of torture, particularly those that cause physical harm, are certainly not to be condoned, some other methods, methods that many of us wouldn't even think of as torture, are a tool. A tool to deter misbehavior, or to acquire information that will protect Americans. Before condemning it, we should try to realize the reality of it.
Furthermore, I would like to point to some history and a very important presidential decision. After the end of WWII, some questioned (and still do) the ethics of Harry Truman's decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan. It was not an easy decision for Truman to make, and he mulled it over thoroughly. In the end, his reasoning was the following: 'As the President of the United States, I am bound to protect the lives and rights of Americans, and if it saves even one American life, I have to do it.' Think about that.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10020629/site/newsweek/