Perhaps its because I'm a political scientist, but it seems to me more than a little self-evident that the techniques of interrogation (and torture) become politicized, both inside and outside the United States. Complaining about it seems a bit like complaining that it sometimes rains during operations.

I agree that the Democrats (well, Congress more broadly) have a responsibility to specifically forbid it if they think its an issue--although given that it is already a rather clear violation of IHL, one would have hoped they didn't have to.

If the technique has been infrequently used, it strengthens rather than weaken the position of critics: the image of US-as-torturer has done serious damage to the US moral position in the GWOT, and (quite apart from the legal, moral, and operational arguments against waterboarding) it does rather seem a rather steep price to pay for a technique possibly used on only three prisoners. I constantly find Abu Ghreib, Gitmo, and waterboarding raised with me in the ME, and frankly I think they are collectively a rather large mobilization and recruiting gift for AQ and various AQ wannabes. Are we forgetting that COIN is, to a large degree, about issues of politics and legitimacy?

I'm with Malcolm on this one.