There’s No Debate: Torture Hindered the Hunt for Bin Laden

n the war on terror, the most wanted men to date have been captured thanks to intelligence developed by interrogators who do not use torture. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), the mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and his successor, Abu Faraj al-Libi, may have provided the nom de guerre of one of Bin Laden’s most trusted aides. But U.S. interrogators agree that torture actually hindered, rather than helped, U.S. efforts to find Bin Laden. Five leading former interrogators sharply criticize those who falsely claim that torture played a key role in finding Bin Laden. Stand with them! Push back on the myth that torture led the U.S. to Bin Laden. Here’s what they have to say:

• The use of waterboarding and other so-called “enhanced” interrogation techniques almost certainly prolonged the hunt for Bin Laden.
• Torture is a poor way to develop useful, accurate information.
• The U.S. would have learned more from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other high value detainees if, from the beginning, professional interrogators had a chance to question them using the sophisticated, yet humane, approaches approved by U.S. law.
• Abusive questioning techniques did not help, but only hindered, the United States’ efforts to find Bin Laden.

Join them by signing on to the statement and help debunk the myth that torture helped the U.S. find Bin Laden. Stand with U.S. interrogators who say that torture hindered our hunt for Bin Laden. Help us send a clear message. Torture does not work.