From Michael R. (ma rz 62@ya ho o.co m):

Re: Study: torture produces unreliable information (Sept. 21): It’s good to see additional confirmation of what many, many people have been saying for years... and have known for centuries. The SERE program interrogaton techniques (Mitchell & Jessen) were drawn from Korean War POW descriptions of torture techniques (use by the north Koreans) expressly designed to elicit false confessions... no doubt for demoralizing and propaganda purposes. However, a great deal of money could have been saved by simply reviewing the historical records of the “Holy” Inquisition from the 16th/17thCenturies... in which untold thousands confessed (under “enhanced” interrogation techniques like “the wrack”) to literally signing a pact with the Devil. Now, unless you are a true believer and absolutely accept that such a thing is possible (a pact with the Devil), then one is forced to conclude that such “confessions” were the result of torture (serving the same purposes, and conducted in the name of “preserving the truth” and protecting the church from its enemies, etc. ).

As is often the case, there is nothing new under the Sun, including the knowledge of, and use for, torture.