| From medieval times through the 18th century, torture was used extensively and legally throughout Europe to intimidate the masses, coerce confessions and gather information. By the 1800s, most nations banned the use of torture as an interrogation technique, citing its barbarity and inhumanity. By the 20th century, those countries had reintroduced torture into their arsenal of interrogation techniques, begging the question, does torture work as a counterinsurgency (COIN) technique? Assessing this is what torture expert Darius Rejali refers to as the "impossible question." Anti-torture advocates claim there is no evidence to prove that torture works, and any information gathered while using torture is, at best, the same as what could have been learned using more traditional interrogation techniques. At worst, it is deliberately misleading, causing agencies to waste valuable resources running down questionable leads. Those who support the use of torture, or as they prefer to call it, "enhanced" or "coercive" interrogation, insist there is certain information that can only be revealed through the use of harsh interrogation methods. This dissertation provides empirical information that will bring us closer to being able to answer the "impossible question," using the case of Northern Ireland's 14 Hooded Men. |
