Do you really believe that if we tortured terrorists, we would be as bad as the terrorists?

Let’s take a look at the justice factor.  Some of us might think that it is just as evil to torture a terrorist as it is to saw off the head of an innocent reporter.  Let’s just pretend for a minute that this is possible and let’s try to compare the levels of right and wrong of these two actions.  First we might be drawn to a conclusion that both are wrong so what difference does it make which is more wrong and since we don't care about the difference we assume that there is no difference. Please do not assume that since we don't care if there is a difference therefore there must not be one.  There is a vast difference between the two stated actions.  Clearly the world leaders would agree that terrorism has no justifiable right to exist in the world.

From the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (Counter –Terrorism)
"We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,
committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes,
as it constitutes one of the most serious threats
to international peace and security."

Since Terrorism is unjustifiable all acts of terror are unjust.  The sawing off at the head while still alive is a clear message about how much hatred they have for justice.  As well as how completely inhuman these guys are.  Can we say the same thing about torture? I ’m sure most of us believe torture has no justifiable right to exist in the world.  I believe it is possible to make this judgment when you look at the act of torturing for torture sake or torturing for the sake of satisfying some sadistic desires.  However, can you make a case to prove your belief that there is no such thing as justifiable torture?  Let’s examine a couple hypothetical scenarios.

1) Say you are John McClane and you have been fighting some bad guy on the edge of a building and you knock the bad guy’s gun out of his hand and it falls off the edge of the building getting caught on some, you can hardly believe, convenient protrusion.  As the guy goes to grab for it you have the opportunity to push him off the building.  Of course he is able to grab hold of the protrusion to save him self from falling and now he grabs the gun with one hand while holding himself from falling to his death with a mighty one handed grip on the protrusion with the other.  Since you have nowhere to run and hide from the aim of the bad guy you have only two options left to you if you are going to keep from getting shot.  a) Peal the guys fingers away from the protrusion hoping to loose his grip before he gets the gun pointed at you.  Rationally you reason that will likely take too much time.  So you take option b) you step on his hand hoping to break enough of his fingers so the pain will torture him and cause him to loose his grip so he will fall to his death.

2) Now let’s say you come Running drawn by the sound of screams, you find a bad guy who is trying to have his way with a young woman.  He is a big guy but not that big from your perspective and you don’t see any weapon so you confront him.  However, when coming up from behind him, you give a shout hoping to scare him away he just looks over his shoulder at you and tells you to mind your own business.  You are fairly far out into the park and you expect it might be a while for the cops to come.  Now you have 2 options, a) walk away minding your own business as commanded by the evil doer.  But you rationally reason that this would not be even remotely humane.  So you choose option b) you attempt to subdue this scum bag.  Having found only a small stick nearby and no visible rocks you attempt to kick him unconscious with a foot to the head.  However the PCP or whatever he is on seems to render that tactic useless and he continues his attack on the woman.  Her screams for your help create even more urgency.  Now you figure the only thing to do is to tackle him getting your arm around his neck and choke off this guys air supply.  You run and jump side long into the guy hoping to knock him off or roll him over.  But you have less effect then you thought you would have and the woman remains pinned under him.  Now reaching your arm around his neck you hold tight and start to squeeze.  You figure you will get him to comply with your commands to desist when he starts to believe he will be killed or maybe he will just pass out.  He is rather intent on his victim at first but then he starts felling weekend by the lack of oxygen and he starts to gasp.  He wants to put up a fight but now he lacks the energy to do so.  You’re not sure if he will be dissuaded from his victim, if you were to let him go, so you hang on and squeeze a little tighter. Now he starts to struggle fearing for his life.  You know he must be close to passing out so you hold on tight giving him your final does of torture as he flails till he finally passes out.

I contend that not only are these examples of righteous torture, these are examples of necessary torture.  It would be wrong for you not to torture these bad guys because they would likely continue to do harm to others.  So since torture in itself is not unjustifiable we must look back at our original premise something like: if we torture terrorists we are just as bad as they are.  If torture in itself is not unjustified and you still believe the original premise then you must believe that it is our motives that are unjust.  Since our stated motives are to fight against terrorism and part of that fighting involves the questioning of the captured terrorists.  Then maybe it is the fight against terrorism that is the problem as you see it.  Let’s reword the original premise for you so we can understand what you’re saying.  Torturing the captured terrorists for the purpose of capturing more terrorists is an act of terrorism.  Well then why didn’t you just say so in the first place?  Let me state it for you so we can all follow along.  You would have to say. “There is nothing wrong with terrorism.” Or, “one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter.”  No? Did I over state your premise?

Justifiable torture should be applied daily to the known terrorists in captivity.  Every piece of information gathered from these guys is another piece of a puzzle that will help save innocent lives not only in the USA but all over the world.  I contend that if we do not torture these guys we are the inhumane ones just walking away letting them, or their buddies, kill other humans as they see fit, and we would be wrong since we did nothing to stop it when we could.