I take it back - the Jack Bauer scenario is real - and it is happening

[hedgehog]

This is what I postulate: American soldiers capture a suspected insurgent and decide that he knows the location of a car bomb or plans of a suicide bomber. The clock is ticking. Do we allow the soldiers to torture the suspect legally? Do we give a wink and a nod and pretend nothing happened as long as a bomb is found?

Before you answer, consider these questions as well:

How do you know the suspect is an insurgent?
Can you trust the interpreter?
Can you trust the informant who led you to the insurgent?
What if your informant is wrong?
What if there is no bomb?
What if next time, the insurgent just knows the location of bomb making materials?
What if next time, the insurgent just knows where a sniper rifle is hidden?

What do you do with the soldiers who committed torture when they come home?