Sample Questions About Torture for Candidates

Do you believe waterboarding is torture and if elected will you outlaw the use of waterboarding?

Would you support legislation that would outlaw the use of torture by the CIA and hold them to the Army Field Manual?

The Israeli Supreme Court recently outlawed the use of torture by Israeli police and Israeli interrogators, holding that these forces could not use methods such as violently shaking prisoners, sleep deprivation or the combination of techniques of sensory deprivation meant to “break down” prisoners. Would you advocate similar restrictions in the United States?

Does the President have the right to go outside the law to prevent terrorism or in the name of national security, including in the "ticking time bomb" scenario?

Will you hold responsible those people within the U.S. government who permitted the use on torture on detainees? What steps will you take?

Note:
It is important to connect your question to what the candidate has been speaking about. For example, if he or she has been speaking about concerns of terrorism, you might say, “I am concerned about terrorism as well, but I am worried about the methods we might use to stop it. As a Jew, I believe that it is never permissible to torture another human being. On that subject, I would like to ask the following question…”

Always indentify yourself as a member of K’vod Habriot: A Jewish Human Rights Network.