I don't know of a situation where anyone "waerboarded" has ever drowned or required medical attention for anything other than hyperventilation from fear. I can remember when I went through "POW Preparation" training, and what we experienced was similar and in many cases worse. Nobody died, nobody required medical attention, and all were shook up pretty well.

Unfortunately, the "pretty please, would you like some tea and crumpets?" approach doesn't work. Before condemning what is a viable physio-psychological interrogation technique, please name an alternative that works. Whether one believes it or not, a lot of study goes into what will or will not work that doesn't result in a "wasted subject." This whole waterboarding scapegoating is just another circumstance where amateurs observe an action, don't understand the why and how, and instantly condemn it because it's "not nice."

I have never seen a situation where a hard-nosed subject possessing vital information responded to "pretty please" techniques. Again, what's the alternative which gets the necessary information so that friendly lives are protected? Whose life is worth forfeiting so that the subject is not made "uncomfortable?"