Is sleep deprivation torture?

I thought Shaun Ley did very well on Friday when he chaired Any Questions for the first time. It was easy to find the inspiration for a blog when I listened to Kelvin MacKenzie give his answer to the first question about whether the British authorities knew about torture or rendition. I don't know if Binyam Mohamed had been subjected to torture or even "at the very least cruel, inhuman and degrading" treatment, so let's talk generally.

If you think that torture is wrong then you shouldn't allow MI5 to be involved. Think of the war films in which the enemy are baddies and the British are goodies who comply with things like the Geneva Convention. Have we become the baddies? The UKIP spokesperson wasn't bothered if we did the right thing and Kelvin was much more forceful in his opinions. He thought that a character assasination justified torture. He doesn't believe Mr Mohamed so it doesn't matter what happens to him. He "doesn't care about Guantanamo Bay". "These are dangerous times" but Kelvin, they are dangerous times because we are not the goodies. Sleep deprivation is torture and if Kelvin doesn't believe it then he hasn't been kept awake enough.

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