[SteveZ]

There is an old saying that a conservative is a liberal who got mugged.

The definition of what is torture is quite broad. It is "physical" only, or does "psychological" fit into it as well? How much "physical" and/or "psychological" action constitutes torture? Where's the bright-line between pressure and torture?

Or is it like the old definition of pornography, which was, "I can't describe it, but I know it when I see it." ? If that's the case, the definition is as subjective as the number of folks trying to make the definition.

All that being said - we would like to always say we as Americans take the moral high-ground in all of our actions. However, we must also remember that just because we "play by rules" doesn't mean others do or will. This "game" called counter-terrorism is deathly serious in determining who wins or loses, and the scoring gets mighty personal the closer to the playing field you find yourself.

Very few of us have ever been in situations where the horror of events personally surround you as much as warfare does, and guerilla warfare is the worst of all. It's easy to condemn the actions of folk who sift through the pieces of friends and live in constant stress of being next on the victim list, especially when the criticism occurs from thousands of miles away by folk sitting on a sofa and not on absolute guard during the next drive, or walk, or chance meeting on the street. It's easy to say "you should have done this" or "you shouldn't have done that" when you're not living though that hell. And saying "I can understand how you feel, but" doesn't cut it, because you don't understand unless you've experienced it.

Does the means justify the end? Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. You just have to appreciate the situation and the fact that humans with all of their emotions are involved.