Worldwide Poll about Torture

From the BBC - One-third support 'some torture'

Although 59% were opposed to torture, 29% thought it acceptable to use some degree of torture to combat terrorism

More than 27,000 people in 25 countries were asked if torture would be acceptable if it could provide information to save innocent lives.

Some 36% of those questioned in the US agreed that this use of torture was acceptable, while 58% were unwilling to compromise on human rights....

Israel has the largest percentage of those polled endorsing the use of a degree of torture on prisoners, with 43% saying they agreed that some degree of torture should be allowed....A majority of Jewish respondents in Israel, 53%, favour allowing governments to use some degree of torture to obtain information from those in custody, while 39% want clear rules against it.

But Muslims in Israel, who represent 16% of the total number polled, are overwhelmingly against any use of torture.

Meanwhile opposition to the practise is highest in Italy, where 81% of those questioned think torture is never justified.

Australia, France, Canada, the UK and Germany also registered high levels of opposition to any use of torture.
___________________________

I think that torture is a form of terrorism. I don't think it makes sense to say that you are "against terrorism" - but torture is ok sometimes. You might as well say that terrorism is justified sometimes, as well, at that rate.

As for the people in Israel who legitimize torture - to me that is saying that state terrorism is ok - but it's not ok if you are essentially powerless to begin with. I think that State sanctioned torture is worse than other forms of terrorism - precisely because of the power that States do have to abuse.

And in the case of the United States - that power to abuse is essentially unlimited.