Voice of Experience: It's Torture
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,155470,00.html?ESRC=army.nl

This is a skittish topic. The reason is because it should be defined by the different classes of persons: combatant or non combatant.

The SERE school uses mild intimidation techniques. Mild, by military standard means that it doesn't produce permanent damage Physically.

To be frank, anyone who is a potential terrorist is in this case an enemy combatant, but even if you are not sure if they are or are not, then the use of MILD intimidation IS acceptable. Waterboarding doesn't produce permanent damage. For torture to be considered "considerable," one would not volunteer to be subjected to it and there would be permanent damage. No one would volunteer for it. If you want to know what torture is ask the fearless leaders of the wonderful countries that accuse us of torture. Hold them accountable for their own accusations.
The Geneva convention applies to CIVILIZED warfare. Terrorism is not civilized. The reason why the Geneva convention rules were created was because we didn't want our soldiers "tortured" and the other countries promised that as well. This doesn't hold water here. Pardon the pun. The terrorists and the jihadists don't play by those rules. To understand this idea, one has to imagine kids on the playground and the gang of kids who don't Play by the rules and hurt the other kids. The normal kids are trying to play an organized game. They are considered the Privileged kids, because they have a ball and maybe other tools for the game. They are having a good time. The thug kids come along and are jealous. Their jealousy and their delusions of being superior cause them to "claim" the territory and by sheer force, drive out the NORMAL kids. When they get rid of the kids, they leave their toys. The toys are useless to the thug kids, because they have no idea what to do with them. They take the toys and instead of using them to create their own game, they sell them and use the money to buy individual CANDY that produces nothing and gets passed through their bowels. The end result is --- well you figure it out.
The question is, how do you stop the thugs?