waterboarding

Once upon a time, waterboarding was torture, and torture was a war crime.

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Waterboarding seems to be all the rage these days in the Bush White House, in an interview by Scott Hennen, Dick Cheney said, “Well, it’s a no-brainer for me, but for a while there I was criticized as being the vice president for torture.”

Wikipedia defines waterboarding as a type of torture used in coercive interrogations or for punishment. The modern form of the practice constitutes a mock execution which simulates drowning, which produces a severe gag reflex, making the subject believe his or her death is imminent while ideally not causing permanent physical damage.

Cheney continued, “We don’t torture. That’s not what we’re involved in.”