Obviously number 1, do you really need me to lay out the history of documented intentional lies for you? The logic is "torture might not work, but I don't give

Obviously number 1, do you really need me to lay out the history of documented intentional lies for you? The logic is "torture might not work, but I don't give a shit about these people so there's no downside, and it'll give the guards a way to relieve some stress." Or "yeah the watch isn't good evidence, but all these people are guilty of something, right? I mean they're all Muslim, they all hate us, it doesn't matter which ones we arrest or kill". You're right that part of it is protecting an image, but that's driven by career ambition and social pressure, not fear. And you're right that they deceive themselves to justify their actions, but again it's not fear driven, it's just the natural "I'm not a bad person" mental protections that we all have all the time. They tell themselves the prisoners deserve it, or that anyone in their position would do the same, or that they're just following orders.