Well Im not getting into morality or method, only effectiveness. Id like to think Id take a good beating for mom and apple pie but I know inside that as soon as they aim a hot poker at my wang I'd be singing like a canary.
So, what were left with then is; is it real or is it fiction. That comes down to a skilled interregator and the value of the detainee. You dont take the first answer you get and go nuke something. Repeated questioning, corroberation with other information, etc... Also, interregating a dirt farmer that doesnt know anything anyway would be a waste. Of course they will spout whatever it takes to stop the pain. A high value target can almost certainly be forced to divulge the information he has. As we can probably all agree, everyone has a breaking point.