From an expert in interrogations

[Garb]

Matthew Alexander - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 12/08/08 - Video Clip | Comedy Central

Thoughts?

 

[rphutchi]

Looks like an interesting read. His premise is believable and he cites the apprehension of zarkaui (sp?) as proof. It's the Zarkauis and other hardened idealogues that beg the question. I have a barnes and noble gift card looking for a book. This might be worth a read.

 

[dross]

A couple of things.

While never an interrogator, I knew some when I was in the military. Building a rapport, showing respect, gaining trust are classic techniques. In fact, you can see them in fifty year old movies.

Second, anyone who tells you that coercive techniques don't work is full of crap. Whether they are moral is another question, they work. How is this even an argument? Ask the pilots who were interrogated by the North Vietnamese. And their methods were crude. Ours are very, very sophisticated.

If mild discomfort works, so does severe discomfort. No you can't go "fishing" using coercive techniques, how would you know if the guy is just telling you something to escape the pain? You have to pretend not to know things you do know, important things. When you know something he doesn't know you know, and you pretend to want it bad, and it's very important, when he breaks and tells you what you already know, you know you have him. Then you can trust the other stuff he says.

It all works together. Again, I'm not advocating torture at all, just saying that it works when applied correctly.

Also, from what I've heard about this guy, he was a minor player, not as involved as he pretends, and acts like he knows way more than he does. He pretends like gaining trust and rapport is some new thing he invented. Yeah, okay.

 

[Garb]

A couple of things.

While never an interrogator, I knew some when I was in the military. Building a rapport, showing respect, gaining trust are classic techniques. In fact, you can see them in fifty year old movies.

Second, anyone who tells you that coercive techniques don't work is full of crap. Whether they are moral is another question, they work. How is this even an argument? Ask the pilots who were interrogated by the North Vietnamese. And their methods were crude. Ours are very, very sophisticated.

If mild discomfort works, so does severe discomfort. No you can't go "fishing" using coercive techniques, how would you know if the guy is just telling you something to escape the pain? You have to pretend not to know things you do know, important things. When you know something he doesn't know you know, and you pretend to want it bad, and it's very important, when he breaks and tells you what you already know, you know you have him. Then you can trust the other stuff he says.

It all works together. Again, I'm not advocating torture at all, just saying that it works when applied correctly.

Also, from what I've heard about this guy, he was a minor player, not as involved as he pretends, and acts like he knows way more than he does. He pretends like gaining trust and rapport is some new thing he invented. Yeah, okay.

I just thought it was an interesting viewpoint, especially from someone who has been there. Another book I read on the subject was in agreement with what you're saying. Chris Mackey (the author of the other book I read) said that sometimes CIA agents tried harsh techniques and failed miserably, and even lost the trust of the prisoner in some cases, but he did concede that harsher methods worked at times when others wouldn't. Water boarding shouldn't be off limits. But it should be one of the last options in a vast array of psychological weaponry that goes into the interrogation room. As for what you've heard about this guy, could you share a link?