Gen. Petraeus, Sen. John McCain Agree the use of Torture is Counterproductive

Many leading voices in the American national security debate believe the use of abusive techniques is both unnecessary and counterproductive. Recognizing adherence to the rule of law under international agreements outlawing torture as a major American asset in the fight against extremism, CENTCOM head Gen. David Petraeus has said "it is important to again live our values to live the agreements that we have made in the international justice arena and to practice those."

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said that he thinks "the interrogations were in violation of the Geneva Conventions and the convention against torture," and the "interrogations, once publicized, helped al Qaeda recruit." In a recent critique of strategic communications, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen noted that deeds matter more than words, saying that "we need to worry a lot less about how to communicate our actions and much more about what our actions communicate." Given the prominent role torture (and U.S. support for regimes that employ it) has played in the radicalization of extremists from Ayman al-Zawahiri on down, America's willingness to investigate and hold accountable those who tortured would send a strong positive signal about how a free and democratic country deals with official abuse.