While the CIA was directly responsible torturing suspected terrorists after the traumatic events of 9/11, would other branches of government have approved what it was doing or looked the other way— and would they do so again under similar circumstances today?
The answer is probably: Yes.
While torture may not be ethically or morally right, there are some instances where it appears to be the only option. Such was the case after 9/11.
Particularly when coupled with the dismal failure of our intelligence services to predict the tragedy, there was justifiable alarm in the U.S. that such an attack not only could but would be repeated.
A then-aroused CIA chose to elicit information in any way possible to prevent a reoccurrence, resulting in overstepping the limits of appropriate actions.
Everyone was to blame, including the president who wanted to ensure the safety of our citizens, the intelligence agencies that didn't want a recurrence of the 9/11 tragedy and a public that wanted its safety guaranteed
Could torture happen again? Given similar circumstances, the answer is probably yes.
Nelson Marans, Silver Spring