I have a contradictory view, even a hypocritical one, over how civilised nations treat terrorists. I don't believe that my government, or any government, should torture suspects or gain information in that way. It is been said that Bush's policy of allowing suspects to be water-boarded, helped gain the information that eventually led to the capture of Bin Laden, but I am not convinced.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, (so-called architect of the 9/11 attacks), was water-boarded 183 times without divulging any worthwhile information regarding his leader's whereabouts. If we are going to practise such torture or extreme methods of extracting information, how then can we preach to other nations about human rights and civil liberties? How many more times was he going to be water-boarded to satisfy the authorities? Frankly, how can you tell what is true or a lie from someone under torture? And, how can we be sure that it is the bad guys being tortured and not some innocent caught up in the mess?
On the other hand, I am delighted that Osama Bin Laden was caught and I don't really care if he was crying like a baby at the time, he deserved his punishment! The Archbishop of Canterbury was moved to say he was "very uncomfortable" with the way Bin Laden was shot, but frankly I think he should have kept his mouth shut. Bin Laden was responsible for death and hatred on a mass scale and deserved his fate. Who cares how he departed this world, so long as he is gone?!
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