Does Torture Work?

331 Pages·2015·1.52 MB·English

by  John W. Schiemann

Does Torture Work?

Does Torture Work?
JOHN W. SCHIEMANN
3
3
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Schiemann,JohnW.
Doestorturework?/JohnW.Schiemann.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978–0–19–026236–5(hardback:alk.paper)1.Torture.2.Questioning.3.Militaryinterrogation.
4.Terrorism—Prevention.5.Crimeprevention. I.Title.
HV8593.S3452016
364.6’7—dc23
2015016041
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
onacid-freepaper
ToCarol
Ifweareagainsttorture,wearecommittedactuallytoarguingwithour
fellowcitizens,nottreatingthosewhodefendtortureasmoralmonsters.
—Michael Ignatieff,“MoralProhibitionataPrice,”inTorture
The...ForceofNumbers...canbesuccessfullyapplied,eventothose
things, which one would imagine are subject to no Rules. [W]hen a
MathematicalReasoningcanbehad,it’sasgreatafollytomakeuseof
anyother,astogropeforathinginthedark,whenyouhaveaCandle
standingbyyou.
—John Arbuthnot,OftheLawsofChance
The utility of moral and political philosophy is to be estimated, not so
muchbythecommoditieswehavebyknowingthesesciences,asbythe
calamitieswereceivebynotknowingthem.
—Thomas Hobbes,ElementsofPhilosophy
CONTENTS
ListofFigures ix
ListofTables x
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
1. InterrogatingTorture 1
2. DangerousTorment 17
3. BenchmarkingInterrogationalTorture 40
4. AQuixoticModelofInterrogationalTorture 64
5. ARealisticModelofInterrogationalTorture 83
6. ABrutalLogic 105
7. AMatterofCalculation 119
8. SurpriseTorture 138
9. AmbiguousInformationandFalseConfirmation 149
10.ValuableInformation,SelectiveTorture 162
11.TorturingInnocents,ResistingTorture 180
12.Torture’sGarden 195
13.Torture’sConfession 211
Postscript 223
viii CONTENTS
Appendices 253
AppendixA:TheRITModel 255
AppendixB:ComparativeStaticsAnalysis 265
AppendixC:ObservationsandPropositions 268
Notes 273
References 285
Index 297
LIST OF FIGURES
4.1BushInterrogationGamewithaCooperativeDetainee 70
4.2BushInterrogationGamewithaResistantDetainee 78
5.1MovesbyNature 86
5.2RepresentingUncertainty 88
5.3BushInterrogationGamewithVariablesforPayoffs 97
5.4RealisticInterrogationalTortureGame(RIT) 100
6.1ThresholdExample 112
7.1EquilibriaParameterSpace 122
7.2EquilibriaParameterSpacewithThresholds 136
8.1ValuableInformation,SurpriseTortureEquilibrium 139
9.1AmbiguousInformation,SelectiveTortureEquilibrium 150
9.2FalseConfirmation,SelectiveTortureEquilibrium 154
10.1ValuableInformation,SelectiveTortureEquilibrium 163
11.1NoInformation,TortureEquilibrium 181
11.2NoInformation,NoTortureEquilibrium 191
12.1MaximumExtent,ValuableInformationandTorture 200
12.2Minimum Extent, False and No Information by Cooperative
Detainee 202
A.1RealisticInterrogationalTortureGame(RIT) 256