How would you define torture then? Let's go to a third party, Merriam Webster: torture, noun: the infliction of intense pain (as from burning, crushing, or wounding) to punish, coerce, or afford sadistic pleasure True, the act of waterboarding in and of itself does not wound, crush, or burn, however the infliction of intense pain (vis a vis the fear of imminent death via asphyxiation) IS certainly there, as are the motives behind it to coerce information or to punish for crimes already committed. However, if you wanted to get back to the classics, I'm sure I can borrow a Spanish Boot from the numerous torture museums here in Prague. You can have a few go-rounds with that whilst being waterboarded and we'll see if that changes your view.