An explanation for the use of torture

[randr]

was just aired on 60 Minutes. In a story of Saudi imprisonment and torture of British subjects the Saudis' used torture to extract false confessions. The confessions were to implicate the British government in a car bombing as retaliation for the British government allowing a Saudi dissident haven. The torture and subsequent imprisonment/death sentences go beyond belief.
B*'s best friends probably inspired the actions we are learning about in Iraq. If we needed proof of WMDs we could easily gain a confession through torture and intimidation. I wonder how prevalent this procedure is throughout the military/criminal arena.