Terrorism and Enhanced Interrogation

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             Torture is defined as "an act intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering" (Thomas). Though the Bush-Cheney administration claimed that EITS were safe, evidence has been found that proves techniques such as prolonged solitary confinement (for a period of 30 days), stress positions, sensory overload/deprivation, and waterboarding can all leave lasting psychological harm to the detainees (Welch). Therefore since the enhanced interrogation techniques cause lasting mental pain they should be recognized as forms of torture, and awful forms at that. For example forced standing for hours can lead to a delirious mental state, delusions, and visual hallucinations. Sensory overload techniques such as temperature manipulation, making it extremely hot or extremely cold, increases the risk of hypothermia and heat stroke, as well as cognitive problems like amnesia (Welch). Detainees who suffer from prolonged isolation and sensory deprivation may develop extreme disorientation, anxiety, and hallucinations. For those that are water boarded they are likely to develop panic disorders, depression, and prolonged post-traumatic stress disorder (Welch). All of these harmful psychological effects prove that enhanced interrogation techniques are not "safe" since most of these detainees will be scarred by these torture methods for the rest of their lives. .
             Enhanced interrogations are used on US enemies in hopes of rendering truthful information that can help keep Americans safe. Since interrogations are performed on the assumption of guilt, the main purpose is to overcome detainee's resistance to withholding information, and move them into admission (Welch). However the techniques used create such mental harm, especially in regards to memory, that recalling information is incredibly difficult and most of the time inaccurate. The enhanced interrogation technique, sleep deprivation, is very ineffective for fostering information because it impairs normal functioning in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortices thus impairing memory functions such as recall, recognition, retrieval, and encoding (O'Mara).