Waterboarding: EIT or Torture?

The Waterboarding issue has been raised again as “torture” by the Communist Broadcasting System, also known as CBS in a recent presidential debate and, of course our fearless leader, while in the Pacific archipelago of Hawaii, which is not in Asia as he believes, had to input his opinion by saying that it is torture.

So, while I’m not a constitutional law professor,  or any kind of lawyer for that matter, just a “Joe Six Pack” (actually more like a keg lately),  who can read and think for himself, I'd like to take this opportunity to review the U.N. Convention Against Torture and define the act itself, which by its own definition, I am opposed to.

Definition of torture; Article 1 of the Convention defines torture as:

Any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person, information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions.
 — Convention Against Torture, Article 1.1

Now watch the video clip bellow from the motion picture G.I. Jane, with Demi Moore portraying Navy SEAL Lt. Jordan O'Neil. As a part of the SERE training she is waterboarded, the difference is that in the actual SERE training, the cloth is placed over the nose and mouth to keep the water in, distribute the water across the face, and prevent the subject from taking a clear breath. Mind you ALL special forces trainees go through this training.

Now read the definition of torture again as described by the U.N. Convention Against Torture. Notice the word “severe”?