Of course the Tower and their advocates and friends are going to harp on the torture and whatnot. The Tower does the same however, and for worse reasons - they do it simply to terrorize petty criminals into fleeing the city or refraining from their activities, because it interferes with their image as omnipotent and benevolent protectors. The Tower is worse in at least one other way as well - initiates are protected by their laws, no matter what crimes they are known to be guilty of. While even a high-ranking Inquisitor may fall under the question for suspect activity, a proven-beyond-all-doubt Darkfriend has extensive legal protections. The chair-ter'angreal the Tower routinely uses to psychologically scar pickpockets is being 'misused' when coercing a Darkfriend to admit her proven and certain crimes against the Light and the Tower, all because she is in the special category of "initiate of the White Tower." The woman who gained practice with the chair tormenting minor offenders is anticipating serious punishment for using it to root out a dangerous traitor. Don't go telling me that their methods condemn the Children beyond all others in the world of WoT. In addition, the torture and so forth are only carried out by the Hand of the Light, which the rest of the Children hold in contempt. While that does not entirely excuse them from guilt by association, who is clear of that taint in the world of WoT, aside from maybe Andorans?

As for the mindset or fanaticism, brutality and zealotry, those depend entirely on where you aim them. Galad is an extremist and a zealot for honorable and righteous behavior, and that is a good thing, which makes him a good person. You may be right in that he accepts the Children because he recognizes people with similar qualities (especially after spending a quarter of a century with people who seem to hold those qualities against him), but he does not misuse them. As for Elayne's sensing something off or wrong with him, she eventually retracts that view. Extremism in defense of the Light is no vice, so long as you do not actually abandon the Light as in the case of Shadar Logoth. Galad, it is made clear, is not the sort to do that. He would never commit an act of personal immorality, as even his detractors concede. In that light, I have to reject your assessment of his meeting with Elayne and Nynaeve in Amadicia. There is no proof of such a self-serving mindset at work, as even a woman who claims to hate him concedes is not his character. If he felt their ability to channel reflected on him, he would have confessed that - he is not the sort of let wrongdoing slide to cover his own ass. The only motivation that works with the common portrayal of his character is that Elayne misinterpreted his mentality and motivation, and that he never would have allowed the Children to harm her.