Torturous States
In a manual on torture awareness given to Canadian diplomats, the United States was listed among countries where prisoners are in danger of torture. The U.S. complained, prompting the Canadian foreign minister to apologize, saying that "the manual is neither a policy document nor a statement of policy. As such, it does not convey the government's views or positions." [the article]
Let's just make it clear: If you are a prisoner in the United States, you are in danger of torture. It's not a matter of any particular government's views. It has happened, and it will probably happen again. The current administration seems to be clear on that. Bush refuses to sign legislation that will force the C.I.A. to abide by the rules for the treatment of prisoners set forth in the Geneva Conventions. Rules that they should already be following.
Torture can be simply defined as any intentional infliction of severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, for purposes of coercion (simplified Geneva definition). Among the tortures authorized by the United States are waterboarding (which invokes an unavoidable fear of drowning that overrides conscious control), sleep deprivation, and exposure to hypothermic conditions. Making Light has an excellent article that goes over these basic techniques, what they entail, and why they qualify as torture. It is impossible to read without getting a sick feeling in the gut.
Besides the entire question of whether torture is effective and whether it loses more information than it gains, it is quite simply morally repugnant. That seems to be lost on the people who make these policy decisions, or at least shielded by some despicable justification. I cannot imagine how.