Is waterboarding torture?

[revelarts]

yes it's torture.
It's been known as torture for 500+ years.
In 2002 some americans decided that was to scary a word, sounded to harsh,
and began pretending that "its not really that bad."
To salve their conscious maybe or keep up a righteous appearance ("we don't torture")... i don't know. Or some have said elsewhere that "it's not torture because it doesn't cause permeant damage." Well i don't believe electric shocks to the nuts causes any real permeant damage ether. So it cannot be considered torture if that's done too, right?

The legal definitions of torture generally start with the use of pain in an attempt to coerce a wanted response from a captive. But many folks seem to want to debate at what level of pain, harm or discomfort they personally consider it "torturous" instead.

Then there's all the comments about not caring if it's done on terrorist anyway.
so why the wrangling over the definition, if you don't care what the gov't does? F' the law.
not sure where you draw the line on that type of thinking "what ever's necessary" is pretty arbitrary. No laws or constitution to worry about ever with that line in the sand.

And few seem to consider that some of the people waterboarded might (were) just accused, suspected or mistaken for terrorist. Should you care then? or as one poster said, "they're just Arabs" so why the fuss?