McCain: Torture is a Recruiting Tool for Our Enemies

John McCain appeared on Fox News Sunday on September 11, 2001 and spoke about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. McCain defends the decision to go to war in the two countries, but also asserts that the use of torture was a mistake. “On the issue of torture, Abhu Ghraib and the torture of prisoners, hurt us a great deal and did provide a propaganda tool for our enemy, including Al Qaeda,” McCain says, “I regret that.” The facts are clear: torture is illegal and does not work. Not only does torture undercut U.S. moral credibility, but science has also been proven it to be counterproductive. The overwhelming majority of professional interrogators say they do not need to use torture to make suspects talk. U.S. interrogators are near-unanimous in their view that legal, rapport-building techniques are more sophisticated and a more effective way to elicit information from a hostile detainee. We’ve learned since 9/11 that violating the rule of law only undermines our security. Ten years after, it’s time to move forward by realigning human rights and U.S. national security.