Torture a Dead End: Intelligence Experts

Governments have known for centuries that torture yields questionable intelligence, and none of the evidence accumulated during US grilling sessions contradicts that argument, David Rose writes in Vanity Fair. Rose carefully documents the inaccurate and even falsified information obtained from suspects Abu Zubaydah, Binyam Mohamed, Jose Padilla, and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed under duress, to the detriment of America's international reputation.

"I know of no evidence against him other than his own confessions, all of which are the bitter fruit of his abuse," said Binyam's lawyer. Rose concludes that it's impossible to quantify "the damage done to America’s influence with its friends, and of the encouragement provided to its enemies. Even harder to quantify is the damage done to institutions and their morale, especially the CIA."
(More torture stories.)