IndexIntroductionCounterargumentMy argumentConclusionIntroductionTorture is an insidious practice and has been defined as an act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for purposes such as obtaining information or a confession. U.S. courts have consistently condemned the use of torture by government authorities to obtain information from criminal suspects because it violates due process of law. The use of torture to extract information from terrorists suspected of having valuable information about future attacks has been the subject of ongoing intense debate. Even though torture is illegal, it can prevent even greater evil. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Torture is illegal under both the United States Constitution and international law, yet many officials believe it is considered an effective method of gathering crucial knowledge or information. Policy regarding whether terrorist suspects should be tortured should be assessed according to whether it is in the best public interest. The United States practices the use of torture on terrorists or anyone suspected of being a terrorist. The United States is part of the CAT, an anti-torture convention program that ensures that all acts of torture are crimes under criminal law, however the United States has found ways to circumvent this and the Geneva Convention. The United States will send terrorist suspects to other countries and have them tortured there, or claim that they do not use torture; it is rather an intense interrogation practice. I disagree that terrorist suspects should be tortured. Counterargument There have been claims that military officials obtained valuable information from terrorist suspects through torture. When it is in the public interest in a situation where there is immediate danger, then it is reasonable to use the torture method. The government makes decisions by balancing the value of one life against many, because the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. If there is a large population, lives are at immediate risk, and the suspect has been captured, there is reason to use torture. Torture is used with the intention of creating conditions favorable to the success of the interrogation, that is, to break down one's will. Many agencies argue that torture has been an effective tool to obtain valuable information and this is used to justify the illegal action that the United States chooses to practice. Ultimately it is argued that saving the lives of many justifies the means of torture. Torture is inhumane, dehumanizing and illegal under the Constitution and international law; therefore it should not be practiced in any country. There are other forms of interrogation and ways to extract information from terrorist suspects. Torture is an unethical and intense approach to trying to extract information from someone you only suspect of being a terrorist. Torture is illegal under the law and any detainee is not the actual person wanted and may not have any information. Unless there is immediate danger and millions of lives are at risk, the use of torture should not be exercised on a detainee who is merely a suspected terrorist. It is unethical to dehumanize a suspect who may be innocent. If any other country kept our military in confinement and used the method of torture, the United States would be outraged and.