waterboarding

Waterboarding is a form of torture[1][2] consisting of immobilizing the victim on his or her back with the head inclined downwards, and then pouring water over the face and into the breathing passages. By forced suffocation and inhalation of water the subject experiences drowning and is caused to believe they are about to die.[3] It is considered a form of torture by legal experts,[4][5] politicians, war veterans,[6][7] intelligence officials,[8] military judges,[9] and human rights organizations.[10][11] As early as the Spanish Inquisition it was used for interrogation purposes, to punish and intimidate, and to force confessions.[12]

In contrast to submerging the head face-forward in water, waterboarding precipitates a gag reflex almost immediately.[13] The technique does not inevitably or in all cases cause lasting physical damage. It can cause extreme pain, dry drowning, damage to lungs, brain damage from oxygen deprivation, other physical injuries including broken bones due to struggling against restraints, lasting psychological damage or, ultimately, death.[4] Adverse physical consequences can start manifesting months after the event; psychological effects can last for years.[14]

In 2007 it was reported that the CIA was using waterboarding on extrajudicial prisoners. The United States Department of Justice had authorized the procedure.[15][16] The revelation sparked a worldwide political scandal. Al-Qaida suspects upon whom the CIA is known to have used waterboarding include Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Abu Zubaydah, and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri.[17][18] Contents [hide] 1 Technique 1.1 Reported Demonstrations 2 Mental and physical effects 3 Etymology 4 Classification as torture 4.1 Controversy over classification as torture in the United States 5 Historical uses 5.1 Spanish Inquisition 5.2 Colonial times 5.3 19th Century Prisons 5.4 After the Spanish-American War of 1898 5.5 World War II 5.6 Algerian War 5.7 Vietnam War 5.8 Chile 5.9 Khmer Rouge 5.10 U.S. Military survival training 6 Contemporary use and the United States 6.1 Use by law enforcement 6.2 Use by intelligence officers 6.2.1 Khalid Sheikh Mohammed 6.2.2 Abu Zubaida 6.3 As a political issue in confirmation hearings 6.4 As a political issue in 2008 presidential election 6.5 Animatronic depiction of waterboarding at Coney Island 7 Legality 7.1 International law 7.2 United States law 8 See also 9 Further reading 10 References 11 External links 11.1 Print 11.2 Video //

Technique

The waterboarding technique was characterized in 2005 by former CIA director Porter J. Goss as a "professional interrogation technique".[10] According to press accounts, a cloth or plastic wrap is placed over or in the person's mouth, and water is poured on to the person's head. As far as the details of this technique, press accounts differ – one article describes