Übergeek 바둑이:"cause severe pain and suffering."  is subjective  and certainly less painful and causes less suffering than say having one's toes and fingers removed.  It's not meant to be pleasant.  It's meant to be used only as a last resort and NEVER to be used as general policy.  But it's one tool that should  be in the tool box should the need arise.

Meanwhile, who will be blamed when we have a terrorist captured who could provide intel on an attack that will certainly kill hundreds of lives and we offer tea and crumpets instead of waterboarding?  The terrorist act goes through, 700 are killed, their bodies ripped apart by bombs.  And the terrorist sips his tea and the US powers say, well, there was nothing we could do.  We knew he had information on a pending attack but we could only ask him nicely to tell us.  We did ask please.

And BTW, the "enemy" is already employing harsh techniques.  Um, they cut off parts of the body and mostly they kill whom they capture and drag their bodies through the streets.

I prefer to be waterboarded over decapatation.