Then what is it?
I think people get confused because water-boarding is an accepted form of torture for military training of Americans, and has been for many decades at least.
During the Vietnam war, even basic training trainees who were captured in E & E exercises, were tortured pretty well in Little Vietnam, at Ft. Polk, and GI’s from all branches who attended more sophisticated training, were water-boarded in large numbers.
Waterboarding is (or was) part of U.S. military Officer Training.
It is NOT TORTURE!