There were (or still are) prisoners that were innocent. Many of the detainees came from Pakistani’s who wanted to collect the bounties being paid by the U.S. even if there was no credible evidence to at least suggest a link between some individuals and any terrorist organization.

Torture can be absolutely counterproductive if you’re blindly assuming someones guilt or participation in terrorist organizations based off hearsay from totured detainee. If they’re innocent, then they’re obviously going to make up stuff or give up more innocent names to stop being tortured because saying “I don’t know” sure as hell won’t stop it.

Yet at the same time Americans were crying for justice that those responsible for 9/11 to be punished immediately. Bush needed to start delivering something to keep Americans satisfied until they could really get a foot hold in the middle-east to be able to really get concrete information and results. I think many presidents would have done the same instead looking like they’re sitting there with their “thumb up their ass” as my dad would put it.