They weren't seeking revenge, but information and sending a message at the same time. When dealing with people who are capable of atrocities, the only language that can be used, if you're actually trying to communicate as opposed to posing or posturing, is their own language of violence. It must be carried out only upon criminals and be the minimum needed to achieve the desired effect, no further. The physical nature of the interrogations could have been reproduced psychologically over a much longer time with the usual drugs which alter the mind irreparably, also cause trauma but leave no physical impression of the torture... Which may leave the intellectual authors of these crimes with doubts as to whether the captured terrorists gave up info on them. The Russians want the leaders and instigators to know the fates of their pawns and that they have implicated their paymasters. And that the hunt is immediate, hopefully instilling a fear of better yet, a panic, which can lead to haste and errors. Keeping a high ground that doesn't exist in international law is of no use against this multilevel set of foes, can you see things from that perspective?
They weren't seeking revenge, but information and sending a message at the same time. When dealing with people who are capable of atrocities, the only language that can be used, if you're actually trying to communicate as opposed to posing or posturing, is their own language of violence. It must be carried out only upon criminals and be the minimum needed to achieve the desired effect, no further. The physical nature of the interrogations could have been reproduced psychologically over a much longer time with the usual drugs which alter the mind irreparably, also cause trauma but leave no physical impression of the torture... Which may leave the intellectual authors of these crimes with doubts as to whether the captured terrorists gave up info on them. The Russians want the leaders and instigators to know the fates of their pawns and that they have implicated their paymasters. And that the hunt is immediate, hopefully instilling a fear of better yet, a panic, which can lead to haste and errors. Keeping a high ground that doesn't exist in international law is of no use against this multilevel set of foes, can you see things from that perspective?
Keeping a moral high ground is foremost useful for everybody that see themselves among the victims and judges.