Agree with you here, sometimes it's better to not run your mouth off so much and get more done hush hush, is why the Yanks had Guantanamo setup yet took years before anyone really caught on to what they were doing.
As for waterboarding not being as effective as other methods, it's probably the most effective torture seen as acceptable to the public, as people not often understand what it really entails, the Japs used it widely which should tell anyone doubting it's effectiveness, ironically the USA killed any Japs thought to of practised it during WWII.
and your point is ?