Torture is the infliction of severe pain in order to force someone to do or say something. Torture comes into play in the context of terrorism when it is used as a tactic to force suspects or others to reveal information about their own or others' terrorist activities.
The use of torture to extract evidence from those held in custody as enemy combatants in the "global war on terror" has raised discussion about the justifications for and effectiveness of torture since the disclosure of government memoranda arguing that the Geneva Conventions and other bans against the use of torture do not apply to Afghanistan war detainees, Taliban members, Al Qaeda members and others held in relation to the "war on terror." The revelation of the use of torture on Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in 2003 created further controversy over the American use of torture.
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