Torture against American values? Institutionalized torture, sure. Torture or forms of interrogation that seem excessively harsh - well obviously not depending on circumstances. What
would be against American values is being denied the right to ask the question in the first place. But when it comes to actions called forth under duress that seem to push the boundaries of what's right, America has clearly gone there repeatedly, as have all great powers, democracies or not. This is not to equivocate or make excuses - it's to state an obvious reality of power: preserving it under challenging circumstances will often require actions that may prove hard to justify once circumstances return to 'normal'. This will be especially true if one is stuck trying to placate the hurt feelings of liberals whose delusions are not easily assuaged. 
