torture by US authorities, opinion polls

A recent report about torture by US authorities has many people divided. After the 9/11 attacks on the USA the American government authorized what was termed enhanced interrogation techniques, which is now publicly recognized as torture tactics. The recent release of the report on the methods used has shown that the authorities did not gain significant information or get details that prevented another terrorist attack. In spite of this recent opinion polls show that roughly half of the citizens in the USA believe that the torture by US authorities was justified. Enhanced interrogation techniques listed in the report included water boarding which simulates drowning, rectal rehydration, sleep deprivation, physical violence, and even threats of sexual assault and threats made against the families and children of the prisoner being detained.

Many believe that torture by US authorities after the 9/11 attacks is justified, but if these techniques did not improve security and there was no significant information obtained then the methods were not necessary. International condemnation of the USA and the torture methods used were quick to follow the report being released by the American government. Opinion polls asked 1,000 adults in the USA whether the torture was justified, and almost 50% agreed that the methods used were justified because of the attacks on September 11. In a surprising twist less than half of the respondents to the opinion polls believed that the report on torture should have been released, with many answering that the report should have been kept secret.