CBA Debate - The use of Torture in order to prevent Nuclear Detonation.

This is a CBA (Cost/Benefit Analysis) Debate with specific rules and format. If you intend to judge/compete in this debate, please read up on the general guidelines found in the first post here: . http://www.debate.org... . .. As you may see, the format is still up in the air so feel free to comment. Use comments 1, 6, and 9 as rules to judge and/or compete in this debate. ===== TOPIC: Scenario: All decently reliable leads on the plot to detonate a nuclear bomb in downtown Boston have come to an abrupt end except for a mans intelligence of the operation (for convenience shall be referred to as Jim). This man is under United States custody but refuses to give up any information about the plans that the terrorists have prepared. He even refuses presidential immunity. It is clear that these terrorists intend to use the nuclear bomb within the next 24 hours, and they have absolutely no reason to believe of any leak. It is therefore determined that the operation is a go. What is the most net-beneficial option for the welfare of America? PRO: Initiate a torture technique to extract information from Jim to attempt prevention. CON: Do not initiate any form of torture. ===== BENEFITS CASE: -Jack Bauer has been called many things in his day. Some call him ruthless, others simply call him un-killable, I, however, call him an American hero. In just a matter of years, Jack Bauer has prevented countless plots to attack America and has in the process saved millions of lives. In doing so, he has unfortunately tortured many people. He has been quoted as saying that he 'doesn't always do what is good, but he always does what is necessary. ' In this debate, I implore you to compare two worlds, first one where we have men like Jack Bauer who are willing to do the necessary to save millions. Then I want you to view another world, where those millions saved now become those millions dead. I stand in favor of 'Initiating torture techniques to extract information from "Jim" to attempt nuclear prevention' by enforcing the following "Specifics": SPECIFICS I. Initiate Torture Technique A: Water Boarding II. If torture technique A is not successful preventing the nuclear explosion, initiate all means necessary to prevent the nuclear detonation. BENEFITS I. Effectiveness A. Waterboarding is effective. -From: . http://science.howstuffworks.com... - "When the CIA used the water-boarding technique on al-Qaida operative and supposed "9/11 mastermind" Khalid Sheik Mohammed, he reportedly lasted more than two minutes before confessing to everything of which he was accused. Anonymous CIA sources report that Mohammed's interrogators were impressed. " B. Claims of immorality by sources fail to see the inherent benefit. -From: . http://patterico.com... - "Not mentioned, anywhere in the article, is the fact that recently declassified memos confirm that waterboarding KSM was key to disrupting a plot to fly airplanes into the tallest skyscraper in Los Angeles. You might think that would be something that the biggest Los Angeles newspaper would care about. You'd be wrong. The closest the paper comes to telling readers this fact is to say that in a speech, Bush said that "alternative" interrogation methods had been crucial to getting Al Qaeda operatives, including Abu Zubaydah and self-professed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, to talk. Not good enough. What does it mean to say that we got KSM to "talk"? It means that we got him to "disclose details of massive plots against the United States. " According to the intelligence community, waterboarding KSM saved thousands of lives. " II. Efficiency A. Waterboarding quickly achieves the end goal. -From Source I. A. - "CIA members who've undergone water boarding as part of their training have lasted an average of 14 seconds before begging to be released. The Navy SEALs once used the technique in their counter-interrogation training, but they stopped because the trainees could not survive it without breaking, which was bad for morale. " B. Furthermore, cross apply the I. A. evidence which clearly states that information was received from "KSM" about future terrorist plots which as a result saved thousands of lives. Information, that only took 2 minutes to obtain. ---Clearly, if one of the most pronounced terrorists of the recent era could not take such pain infliction, not to mention several CIA and Navy seals, then neither would Jim. Information obtained would be received quickly, and the following end result would occur. .. III. End Result- Prevention of a Nuclear Detonation in Boston -Saving these lives, is an in-exchangeable benefit. In order for my opponent to win this debate, he/she must outweigh this undeniable truth. -I reserve the right to add benefits until at least round 3.