The war on terrorism has sparked a new debate in the United States over the use of torture to extract information needed to protect public safety. In the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, some government officials believe that using physical force against suspected al Qaeda terrorists is justified, especially if they may know about upcoming attacks on civilian targets. Others reject torture as both unreliable and an affront to legal and civilized norms of behavior. Meanwhile, the State Department's annual human rights report documents the continuing state-sanctioned use of torture in more than 100 countries on five continents. The report — and now the fall of Saddam Hussein's murderous regime in Iraq — has intensified the call by some human rights groups for Western countries to arrest the leaders of nations that brutalize their own citizens.

David Masci specializes in social policy, religion and foreign affairs. Before joining CQ Researcher as a staff writer in 1996, he was a reporter at CQ's Daily Monitor and CQ Weekly. He holds a BA in medieval history from Syracuse University and a law degree from The George Washington University.