Lives versus Principles

I don't have the answers, so I am just going to pose questions.

A suspected Islamic Jihad terrorist picked up by police within the United States. The police suspect that a person has engaged in illegal, terrorist activity that after an investigation, could be prosecuted. The police also believe that the suspect has information that if divulged, would save hundreds if not thousands of lives. If the police torture the suspect, any information received would be tainted. Any future investigation of the suspect for his or her terrorist activity would be compromised. No confession obtained under torture would be useable. It is likely that the suspect would go free under the American system of justice. The question is, should the police be permitted to torture the suspect to obtain the information that would save lives?

Given the same situation, but the suspect is not a United States citizen picked up by the United States military in a foreign country. We are not at war with any country and the suspected terrorist was not wearing a uniform of any country. Should the military be permitted to torture the suspect to obtain the information that would save lives?

If the United States condones torture in any circumstance, don’t we compromise our principles, our moral high ground? Is the saving of lives worth the damage to our national reputation? Should pragmatism control over principle?

Does it make any difference how many lives would be saved?

Does it make any difference if one of the lives were one of your children?