Waterboarding is Good

My opponent says that "It is not the Con's job to provide an alternative to waterboarding, but rather to merely disprove the Pro's contentions. This is wrong. My framework simply states that in order for waterboarding to be considered "good" as the resolution states, all I have to do is prove that it is "good" in comparison to the alternatives. Now, I shall begin my refuting my opponent's statements. 1A: In this statement, my opponent states that the basic purpose of waterboarding is to maliciously inflict pain in order to attain this valuable information. Maliciously would mean a desire to cause pain. However, the CIA's true desire is to gain the valuable information that could save lives, and if causing a little pain to TERRORISTS could save THOUSANDS of american citizens' lives, why would we protect one terrorist over thousands of innocent americans. Furthermore, our opponent cites the quote from John Mccain, that this kind of torture is intolerable. However, while it may be a tad drastic, it is necessary; we're using such a technique on 1 man, to save the lives of thousands. So, voting AFF would mean you would like to be free from harm from such terrorists, but voting NEG is effectively saying you would allow these terrorists; like the man who planned 9/11 one of the most tragic incidents in America's history, to retain their evidence about future attacks, which we would not be able to prevent, by voting NEG. Waterboarding is an issue of discomfort, not pain. Waterboarding will lead men to cave, and to let out the evidence, just as pain would do. Let's compare to say claustrophobia, but on a larger scale. If you were claustrophobic and trapped in a tiny box, you would scream, and to anything to get out of this box. But technically, the person wouldn't be feeling pain, rather discomfort. Waterboarding works the same way. Therefore, this contention goes to the affirmative. 1B: intent is not to torture In the quote, my opponent fails to see "ultimately producing valuable intelligence". While in the process of waterboarding, the person may feel some discomfort, the ultimate goal is to produce valuable evidence, which could effectively "save lives". Also, all waterboarding does is induce the gag reflex, there is NO harm done to the victim. 1C: mental damage My opponent's response is irrelevant, as we still retrieve the important material that can save thousands of innocent Americans' lives. Contention 2: Waterboarding is beneficial While waterboarding has only been used by the United States on three individuals in the past decade, it is clear and easy to see that these efforts have been beneficial. He states that the information gained didn't prevent any imminent attacks and that interrogation techniques would have worked the same way. I will break up the responses into 2 categories. A) Waterboarding hasn't prevented any attacks. Let's look at this logically. We have managed to capture Khalid Sheikh Mohammed [KSM], the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. Once waterboarded, " He started talking, and he never stopped," this former officer said. KSM was never water-boarded again, and in hours and hours of conversation with his interrogators, often over a cup of tea, he poured out his soul and the murderous deeds he committed." Furthermore," A current CIA official says that KSM actually told interrogators the only reason he confessed was because of the water-boarding." [1] With these confessions, and this information, this could have prevented future attacks conducted by him, as we learned of what he had done, how he had done it, etc. By waterboarding KSM, the evidence could potentially save lives. And furthermore, since I must provide evidence, according to the LA Times, waterboarding prevented a terrorist attack in Los Angeles.[2] B) Interrogation techniques could have worked the same way By stating this, my opponent is completely wrong in stating this, and we have the following responses. 1) Interrogation results wouldn't be the same Waterboarding is unique, in the sense that the induction of the gag reflex would provide a bigger incentive for these terrorists to cave, and reveal the evidence 2) Waterboarding is quick and efficient The CIA had spent months interrogating KSM, but to no avail. Waterboarding did this so much quicker. Contention 3: Waterboarding is quick and efficient 1) Rape is completely unrelated. Rape is illegal because it's an American, and they have their rights. However, terrorists are the ones that are waterboarded, and you lose your rights once you infringe on others'. 2) This goes to the affirmative side, as we have proven that Waterboarding is NOT torture. 3) I have already proven that interrogation techniques will not achieve the desired outcome of waterboarding. My opponent has clearly misunderstood my point, I said 'efficient' meaning that waterboarding is efficient, or functions correctly, whereas interrogation techniques do not, since they do NOT have the same results of waterboarding. 4) My opponent states that Abu Zabaida was waterboarded 83 times and KSM 183 times. However, let's compare this to months, and even years of interrogation, where there isn't even an incentive for a terrorist to give up information, the interrogation would go on for quite a time. While waterboarding isn't a perfect method, all we have to do today is that waterboarding is "good". Taking a better look at the waterboarding of KSM, "Over a few weeks, he was subjected to an escalating series of coercive methods, culminating in 7 1/2 days of sleep deprivation, while diapered and shackled, and 183 instances of waterboarding. After the month-long torment, he was never waterboarded again." In this one month of 183 instances of waterboarding, we managed to get this information, after much more than a month of interrogation.[3] Therefore, this contention still stands. And therefore, because I have effectively refuted all of my opponent's points, I urge a strong vote in the affirmation for today's debate. [1]http://blogs.abcnews.com... [2]http://latimesblogs.latimes.com... [3]http://www.washingtonpost.com...