Make Them Talk: Truth serum ought to be a weapon in our antiterror arsenal

Opinion Journal ^ | 06/18/2002 | E.V. KONTOROVICH

[Pokey78]

As Washington warns of impending terrorist attack, potentially with weapons of mass destruction, hundreds of Taliban and al Qaeda detainees and suspects are sitting mum in their cells. According to news reports, they just won't talk.

With so much at stake, the U.S. should use all reasonable means available to get pearls of intelligence out of the clammed-up captives. But the interrogators have been barred from using one of most obvious tools--truth serum. Despite the advocacy of former CIA and FBI director William Webster, the serum has not been used out of concern that doing so would amount to torture. And torture is "cruel and unusual punishment" prohibited by the Eighth and Fifth Amendments, as well as by international law and good conscience.

[GaryMontana]

If we have to violate some rights to prevent another 9/11 attack too bad. American people's lifes are far more important than some terrorist's feelings.

[maro]

Non-citizens have no constitutional rights. (Screw Plyer v. Doe.) So what's wrong with the judicious use of torture when our national security is threatened? As someone wisely said once, the Constitution is not a suicide pact. Bring on the bastinado!

[KirklandJunction]

So now Big Brother gets to decide when prisoners are jailed without Sixth Amendment Rights, and subject to chemical actions without the right to an attorney?

Which means our feds don't have enough for a trial, so they're frantic.

Which means the pain of 1776 creating our Constitution is trashed because our current feds aren't bright enough to get a conviction?

...sigh

Here comes the 4th of July.

[lizma]

Who's to say we're not?

A little valium in the falafel, time for Abdul's "exercize" break. Who would be the wiser?

[sharkdiver]

If according to our constitution we cannot use truth serum on these individuals what would be the problem with sending them to a country that does not have the same protection against the use of truth serum and getting the answers that we need to fight this war on terrorism?

[Barbara14]

No. A cattle prod will do the trick, and no one dies.

[brat]

This is war.......using juice should be the least of it.

[Grampa Dave]

Today thousands of Americans had hospital and out patient procedures and were given Versed and usually a narcotic.

There was no pain and most patients did/will not remember the procedure and probably not remember the injection. They answered any question asked by the Md/Rns before and during the procedures.

Give these people who have sworn to kill us and our family members all the Versed and morphine or Ketamine that is necessary. They will fill no pain and remember nothing.

Don't give it to them to prove guilt. Give it to them to prevent another 9/11. They will sing, talk and discuss anything that is asked of them. Then they will have no pain and few will remember what they said and the questions asked of them.

We are not talking about poison. Instead we are talking about the preop and periop/procedure standard of care for American patients. It is not torture.

Anyone who is against this is living in a fairy tale world of 9/10! They are more dangersous to America than the al Qeada thugs, they want to wrap our constitution around and protect. Just more of their hate America routine while pretending to be such great patriots!

[SandfleaCSC]

This article makes a great point about the invasiveness of a body search and equating it with torture. I never thought along those lines, but it is valid argument. As fruitfull as it would be to squeeze these prisoners for information anyway possible, it's a scary concept. It's a dark path that if our government were allowed to openly travel would lead to abuses elsewhere. I wonder how quick they would be to apply the same draconian tactics to the war on drugs or tax evasion if torture paid dividends in the war on terror. I agree with the spirit of the idea, but I just can't trust our government to apply it responsibly.

[maro]

It is said that we do that all the time--hand over prisoners to the Israelis and look the other way.

[Caipirabob]

A I prefer a Vulcan Mind-meld. Much cleaner but it has it's setbacks...

"There's nothing in here, Captain..."

[The Great Satan]

Work 'em over with a rubber hose, then switch to a ball peen hammer once they've coughed up the goods.

[KS Flyover]

[TroutStalker]

bttt

[aristeides]

bttt