Waterboarding

The victim is strapped to a board and either tipped back or lowered into a body of water until he or she believed that drowning was imminent. The tortured person then is removed from the water and revived. If deemed necessary, the routine is repeated.

Although there are several forms of water-based interrogation, all variants have in common that the victim almost drowns, but is rescued or re-animated by his or her captor. The technique is designed to be both a psychological and a physical torture. The psychological effect is inherent to the fact that the victim is made to understand that he or she shall be killed outright, by drowning, unless the demanded co-operation is promptly given. This perception reinforces the interrogator's control, giving the torture victim sound cause to experience mortal fear. more..