Discuss the arguments justifying torture as a legitimate Essay

Discuss the arguments justifying torture as a legitimate counter-terror strategy and the implications of legitimizing state-sponsored programmes of torture - Essay Example The collective costs of terrorism include its destabilization of governments, civil societies, peace and security as well as its threat to socio-economic development of the affected zones and the entire global society; these collective costs also undermine the stability of human rights. Given that individuals are entitled to security as a fundamental human right and governments are obligated to assure the security of their citizenry, states around the world have consequently adopted significant measures to safeguard their nationals against the insecurity threat posed by terrorism (Piazza & Walsh 2010, p.407). Nonetheless, developments in the recent past including the pervasiveness of global terrorism and the fast changing nature and scope of terrorism have compelled governments to adopt stringent measures as counter-terrorism strategies, consequently undermining human rights and the rule of law (Foot 2007, p.489). Most if not all states are increasingly resorting to the use of tortur e and other ill-treatment as their counter-terrorism strategy while disregarding the legal institutional safeguards designed to prevent torture. Similarly, other states have undermined the global commitment to avoidance of torture and handed over terror suspects to the countries where they are highly susceptible to torture as well as other human rights abuses. The fight against global terrorism has been mired with both pro and anti-torture arguments all over the world, with the opponents of the use of torture as a counter-terrorism strategy claiming that such an approach is counterproductive since it undermines the rule of law, good governance and human rights. In that reservists have often argued that the war on terror should be tampered with respect for human rights as well as the rule of law respectively, through the establishment of counter-terrorism strategies that both