Legalize Torture? - Blogger Rick

Legalize Torture? - Blogger Rick Heller of SmartGenes is kicking off a campaign to legalize the use of torture in the case of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, recently-captured Al Quaeda capo.

I have never before advocated torture, but I do now, for this one individual. There are strong reasons to believe that a massive Al Qaeda operation is immanent. MEMRI reports on indicators of an operation in Asia and one in the United States. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed would be likely to know of impending attacks, and had probably surfaced in order to facilitate them. His arrest might even cause the remaining Al Qaeda leaders to advanced the zero hour of the operations for fear of them being compromised.

Considering this man is suspected to be the Mastermind of 9/11, I doubt that any American jury would convict anyone who caused this man serious pain. I don't advocate torture for purposed of retribution. I'd leave that up to God. But in the classic case of a ticking time bomb, which this appears to be, violating the law to save lives is morally justified.

There's a certain deep-down satisfaction that comes from demanding something like this. But it'd be disingenuous of me - one who pleads "slippery slope" on so many other issues of galloping government power - to really endorse an idea like this, even though there's a perverse, purely utilitarian logic to it. I'm not the only one.

This has all the makings of a first-year law-school question.

Posted by Mitch at March 4, 2003 03:21 PM