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Jacqueline Pham
Mrs. Morris
English IV F
13 April 2016
Knowledge Wins Against Assumptions
Enhanced interrogation can be defined as any act of intelligence gathering that requires
the infliction of physical or mental pain or suffering (Introduction to Torture). Is this
something that can be justified as the correct method? The morality and efficiency of these
methods are often questioned by people who arent aware of the practicality of this approach.
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, former President George W. Bush, who
[believe] that enhanced interrogation techniques are necessary to obtain much-needed
intelligence information in the war on terror, began to test the limits as to what actions are
considered torture to develop new interrogation approaches for any future threats (Introduction
to Torture). With the bombings and shootings just a couple of months ago, people in America
wish to find methods to retrieve information about the enemy and remain a civilized country at
the same time. This begins debates as to whether certain interrogation methods or ways of torture
should be deemed right or wrong. Enhanced interrogation techniques are very beneficial for
discovering information to protect the people and should be kept and constantly improved further
for the future.
First, to what kind of methods does the term enhanced interrogation refer? The physical
and mental suffering result from a couple of methods. Some techniques created for psychological
shock and manipulation include waterboarding, the pouring of water onto a cloth covering the
detainees face to create the sensation of drowning, insult slap, in which the detainee would be

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slapped by a hand with slightly spread fingers with the attempt to instill shock or humiliation
instead pain, and walling, where a detainee would hear a loud sound when forcefully pushed
into a false wall so the shock level increases. Physically, detainees would go through sleep
deprivation of over forty-eight hours, forced into a tight, dark space for long periods of time, or
put into uncomfortable positions to cause muscle fatigue. The CIA originally approved these
techniques but it was barred by the Obama administration in 2009 (Nasaw).
During a ticking time bomb scenario, people are aware of the presence of the bomb but
have no knowledge of the bombs location. Quick action needs to be taken to obtain information
to serve the greater good and prevent a major loss of lives ("Introduction to Is Torture Ever
Justified?: At Issue."). Charles Krauthammer, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and
commentator, explains that however rare the cases, there are circumstances in which, by any
rational moral calculus, torture not only would be permissible but would be required to acquire
life-saving information (Krauthammer). After 9/11, the government began to understand that
collecting information from the worst of the terrorists would help with ensuring the safety of
the country. In some cases, information would only be discovered through harsh interrogations
(Cheney). With many lives on the line, enhanced interrogation methods helps to successfully
keep Americans safe through the skilled interrogators abilities to uncover important information
in time. Richard B. Cheney, former vice president under President George W. Bush, describes
these methods as legal, essential, justified, successful, and the right thing to do. He explains
that the interrogators work has the positive outcome of the prevention of losing thousands of
innocent peoples lives. Cheney argues that these techniques produce favorable results whenever
preventing terrorist attacks after 9/11 so denying these techniques would place the United States
at risk. He also emphasizes that people who label these methods as torture without good

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judgement slander devoted professionals who saved many lives and portray the murderers and
terrorists as innocent victims (Cheney).
Another idea people misunderstand about enhanced interrogation is the circumstances for
the use of these techniques. Not every suspect is put under these interrogation methods. Only the
people with higher intelligence levels are subjected through enhanced interrogation as a last
resort after all the other interrogation methods have failed (Cheney). People tend to question the
morality of these methods because the harsh techniques inflict pain on other people to obtain the
necessary information. Since the information gained from the interrogation is classified, the
general public would lack knowledge as to how beneficial these methods are to the people.
Without having any idea of what is happening behind the scenes, people begin to believe that
enhanced interrogation is an unnecessary means of information gathering due to the human
nature of fearing the unknown. Cheney himself requested the declassification of unseen memos
from enhanced interrogation sessions to show the American people the information gained and
learned as well as the effect on national security but the request is later rejected in May 2009.
This rejected request leaves Americans even further in the field of ignorance and they wont be
able to understand the truth of what didnt happen during the interrogation sessions (Cheney).
Any controversial issue contains a positive support as well as a contradicting belief.
Another disagreement to the idea that enhanced interrogation methods are beneficial to the US is
that people believe that the use of these techniques have caused America to fall short of its
values (Cheney). Soufan states that "the harsh technique method doesn't use the knowledge [one
obtained from] the detainee's history, mindset, vulnerabilities, or culture, and instead tries to
subjugate the detainee into submission through humiliation and cruelty . . . each time using
harsher and harsher techniques until the detainee submits (Soufan)." This idea creates the illusion

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that the people who use these techniques walk into an interrogation setting without any
knowledge about the detainees background. Former CIA deputy director for operation, James L.
Pavitt, explains that CIA officers are generally chosen for their courage to take an operational
idea, and properly weigh the potential risks against the potential gains and with the knowledge
of carrying the USs reputation directs the officers goal to be bold and not reckless. Since the
actions represent the American people, any act done is within the laws they honor and the
values they cherish (Pavitt).
In conclusion, the use of enhanced interrogation methods is helpful for retrieving
information when needed from an enemy. CIA officers are always risking their lives to gather
important information that becomes beneficial in protecting America. Any aggression shown has
the limit of the law and common sense (Pavitt). This is shown when throughout the enter
interrogation when any action taken is done for the nation and its people.

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Works Cited
Cheney, Richard B. "Enhanced Interrogation Helps Keep America Safe. Gale Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.
"Introduction to Is Torture Ever Justified?: At Issue." Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context.
Detroit: Greenhaven, 2011. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.
Introduction to Torture: Current Controversies. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Detroit:
Greenhaven, 2009. Web. 8 Feb. 2016.
Krauthammer, Charles. Torture Must Be Permitted in Permitted in Certain Terrorism Cases to
Save Innocent Lives. Ed. Debra A. Miller. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context.
Detroit: Greenhaven, 2007. Web. 9 Feb. 2016.
Nasaw, Daniel, and Devlin Barrett. List of Approved Enhanced Interrogation Techniques.
The Wall Street Journal. 9 Dec. 2015. Print.
Pavitt, James L. "CIA Intelligence-Gathering Methods Have Been Successful in Fighting
Terrorism." Espionage and Intelligence Gathering. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. San Diego:
Greenhaven, 2004. Web. 8 Feb. 2016.
Soufan, Ali. Other Interrogation Methods Provide More Reliable Information. Gale Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2011. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.