Stress positions
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Stress Positions, also know as submission positions, place the human body in such a way that a great amount of weight is placed on just one or two muscles. For example, a subject may be forced to stand on the balls of their feet, then squat so that their thighs are parallel to the ground. This creates an intense amount of pressure on the legs, leading first to pain and then muscle failure.
Stress positions are commonly used by the U.S. Military. Recruits are often put in stress positions during basic training, the most common being the "front leaning rest", which is the military term for the pushup positions. The U.S. military also commonly uses stress positions when interrogating PUCs, or Personnel Under Control.
Are stress positions as used in rough interrogation a form of torture? This is a good question. Some would say that yes, it is, because it places a subject in pain with the intent of extracting information. Others would say no. This is because, unlike acts that are commonly identified as torture (such as beating, electrocution and mutilation) the use of stress positions cannot continue once the subject has reached muscle failure. However, this is perhaps analogous to noting that the act of non-consensual murder cannot continue after the victim has already died. Stress positions could be considered a way to weaken resolve in much the same way an interrogator breaks down a subject's mental barriers with repetitions of questions and deception, the difference being that stress positions cause immense physical discomfort and pain.
