As Goldfinger says to James Bond: "I don't expect you to talk, Mr. Bond; I expect you to die."
The strong horse uses prisoners to gain advantage. If killing them in the field is more advantageous that’s what it does. If interrogating them is more advantageous that is what it does. If releasing them after captivity to follow where they go and see who they meet is advantageous that is what it does.
The strong country does what is in its best long term advantage, not what some stinking pedophile jihadi wants. Personally I think torture (at least to the extent that delivering such torture doesn’t harm the American delivering it) and public humiliation is what they deserve. For instance, I’d pay money to watch them be publicly executed. Now the method of execution would have to be fun to watch though, like hanging, shooting or electrocuting. None of this quiet and painless stuff.