Timothy McVeigh is known to have built and detonated the bomb that destroyed the Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, killing 168 people. If anyone deserves to be called a terrorist, surely it is Tim McVeigh.

McVeigh is no longer available to be tortured, as he was put to death by lethal injection on June 11, 2001. He cannot be brought back to life, even in the case of a smoking gun which turns out to be a mushroom cloud.

But McVeigh’s admitted accomplice, Terry Nichols, is still alive and in prison. How about Nichols? Should he be tortured now in order to obtain more information about that bombing and possible additional actions coming up? Can we be sure that nothing more is being planned, that sleeper cells are not at this very moment waiting patiently for the signal to wake up and kill more innocent Americans?

Trouble is, we badly need some clarification here. Is torture perhaps only approved for use on non-Europeans? Or on non-Judeo-Christians? What about for people whose skin is dark? What about those whose skin is dark but who are Christian or Jewish?

Note to Repuplican supporters of torture: please get this messy and confusing situation straightened out toute suite, so we all understand the rules and can get on with it.