[Mrs. Don-o]

Since waterboarding involves the intentional infliction of pain and fear, then it is torture by definition. You might want to say it's not "severe" or "major" torture. But it's torture, whether major or minor, if it's directly intended.

Therefore --- by definition -- torture is (or was) part of U.S. Military Officer Training.

I've experienced what you might call "minor torture": flex-cuffs tight enough to turn parts of my wrists black and cut off sensation to parts of my hand--- no lasting damage to the nerves or the limb, in my case, but it was clearly intended by the cop to hurt me in order to make me more biddable.

[lentulusgracchus]

But it's torture, whether major or minor, if it's directly intended.

So is a wedgie. So is an ag-ag and a noogie in a left-right deadly combination.

Meh.

[G Larry]

What part of waterboarding inflicts “pain”?

[ansel12]

Therefore --- by definition -- torture is (or was) part of U.S. Military Officer Training.

I would guess that of the 10s of thousands of federal employees who are water-boarded, the vast majority, are not officers.