Waterboarding

Waterboarding is a type of torture that has been used for a long time. It was often used to make people confess.
The victim is tied onto a table or wooden board. The questioner has a helper, whose job it is to pour water on the victim's nose and mouth through a towel or cloth, to make it difficult for him to breathe. If and when the victim is supplying answers that the questioner deems acceptable, the victim (ideally) is permitted to breathe. 
In modern times waterboarding has been in use in Guantanamo Bay and has been a major political argument. Its use by American forces was banned by President Barack Obama in 2009.