The use of these abusive methods violates international hu-
man rights standards. The likely illegality of the program was
known to the agency and debated within the agency. Those ad-
vocating for the use of abusive techniques such as waterboard-
ing should have known that the US had prosecuted these same
techniques as torture. Health professionals who were involved
in its justification, design and implementation should have
known that professional ethics prohibit health professionals
from complicity in such harmful acts against prisoners or de-
tainees. It is precisely to avoid such complicity that health pro-
fessionals have recourse to professional codes of ethics, as well
as international standards of medical conduct. Familiarity with
these codes – not to mention basic human decency – should
preclude such conduct, making clear to health professionals
and government institutions both its essentially unethical na-
ture and illegal status under international law.