The history of torture in modern democracy [audio 12min @16:00]

Does the need for security justify the increasing use of 'clean torture', torture such as sleep deprivation, electro-torture and the infamous water-boarding? Despite a number of international condemnations of torture from bodies like the United Nations, the Council of Europe and Amnesty International, some argue in favour of torture as an efficient way of detecting plots that might otherwise lead to the deaths of a great number of innocent citizens. Professor Darius Rejali's monumental new work, Torture and Democracy (Princeton University Press) documents the history of torture in modern democracy and debates its efficacy. Rejali is Professor of Political Science at Reed College, Portland, Oregon.