In 1929, the United States signed the Geneva Convention, an international treaty barring the use of torture against prisoners of war, even for the purposes of eliciting vital information. But it wasn’t long before our government found that these rules could be bent, and since 9/11 issues regarding torture have increasingly become part of our social discourse. The legality of torture has been a focus of the recent confirmation process of Attorney General nominee John Mukasey, and a spate of recent films have addressed the topic, as well.

Many people say that torture is never justified. But what if lives are at stake? In these situations, torture should be seen as an acceptable means of preventing the deaths of innocents.

In “ticking time bomb” scenarios, for instance, where the threat of attack is both assured and imminent, there is often no other immediate option than to subject a prisoner to physical interrogation. If one person has to go through pain to make sure that others stay alive, then the ends justify the means.

The enemies of the U.S. and its citizens are certainly not among those who object to these methods. If American troops are unfortunate enough to be captured by terrorist forces, not only will they be tortured, but they are likely to be summarily executed, as well.

It is right for the U.S. to take the high road and simply detain any prisoners that it captures, but when there is a dire need and information is time sensitive, force should be used.

By legalizing some methods of torture, the U.S. would be able to ensure that strict protocols and limits are put in place. These protocols would prevent mistakes such as those made by the American agents at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay and other undisclosed locations. In those cases, the prisoners posed no immediate threat and the interrogators/guards were not saving any lives by tormenting their captives. They were simply abusing their power.

Torture can save lives or destroy them depending on how it is used. There are times when the clock is ticking and one person holds the key to saving many others. Those are the times when it is justified to use any means necessary.