Is torture ever ok?

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Morning / afternoon / evening, it’s Peter Dobbie here with the latest on World Have Your Say, on air at 1800 GMT. Today, one topic, and one only.

IS TORTURE EVER OK ?

The debate about “waterboarding” is back on the front pages once again after a former CIA interrogator said the tactic was effective in shaking potentially life-saving information from a leading terrorist.

Justifying waterboarding

Good morning, Peter again with the early round-up of stories. First thing that grabs me is the assertion by a retired CIA agent that the use of water-boarding led an Al-Qaeda suspect to provide information that disrupted a number of terrorist attacks.

John Kiriakou has been on TV describing how the interrogation technique, which makes a prisoner believe he may drown, had prompted Al Qaeda leader Abu Zubaydah to provide crucial information. Kiriakou’s revelations come on the heels of the disclosure that the CIA destroyed videotapes of such interrogations.

So is it worth it? Yes? No?

Next up is Tuesday’s appointment of an Indian as the head of Citibank. Vikrum Pandit replaces Charles Prince, who quit last month after admitting that the world’s biggest bank could be exposed to as much $17bn (£8.3bn) in bad debt.

The New York Times says there are now 15 foreign-born heads of Fortune 100 companies. That’s up from nine in 1996, but the paper says real difference is where they come from: “The head of the Altria Group was born in Egypt, for example. PepsiCo’s is from India, the Liberty Mutual Group’s is a native of Ireland and Alcoa’s was born in Morocco.”

If ever proof were needed that globalisation is changing the lives of people in more parts of the world than ever before. But does it benefit a person’s motherland? Is there any advantage to India in having a native son in charge of Citibank? Or would Mr Pandit’s talents benefit India more if he had stayed at home?