Two thoughts. First, I think everyone missed this when I posted it a little while ago. At least no one commented on it. A couple days ago, I saw this interview on the Today show. It's a former CIA agent who used waterboarding. He talks about his feelings on its use and the authorization required to even have it as an option. Check it out...

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=msnbc&vid=5e5abc17-c215-4567-bc7 1-3749e5cd73bf

Secondly, I have a friend who is a Vietnam vet. He's really screwed up with PTSD, and he walks with a cane because of the damage done to his leg by a VC grenade. He was an interrogator in-field. The only time I have ever seen him get teary-eyed is when he spoke briefly about not being able to forgive himself for the things he did to other people. He described a few of them to me. Friends, let me tell you, waterboarding.... it's nothing. These people walk away without a scratch. What happened to those my friend interrogated.... terrifying. And that's the difference here. We don't do that crap anymore. They do. And then some. So is the US taking the higher road? Without a doubt. And again I say, if it's done with judiciousness, and only as authorized and only by those trained to do it, by all means, make it so. If it gets the information that ultimately saves lives, do it.