It seems to me that if a terrorist knows that a lead which proves to be false will be severely punished, he will think twice before lying. If, on the other hand, there is no penalty for lying or remaining silent, then there is no incentive to cooperate. Additionally, when dealing with Islamofascists, who are contemptuous of kindness and interpret it as weakness, I believe it is a fatal mistake to exclude severe punishment (torture) from our options.
Incredibly naive statement that demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of the problem with torture. The problem arises when the torturer won't believe that the tortured doesn't know anything. The tortured, not having anything of real value to give up, will begin to fabricate things that the torturer wants to hear in order to gain relief.
The possibility of future punishments don't even enter into it. The tortured is only seeking immediate relief.