Thread: The Most Effective Interrogation Technique

Originally Posted by firestar

I have heard about cops tying a centipede sort of an insect in the navel area with a piece of cloth. Tied behind are the accused's hands.

The insect is not poisonous keeps moving here and there, biting and chewing flesh, causing real unbearable irritation.
Might sound crude but Heard it works most of the time.

I'm looking for books and evidence, not urban legend.

Originally Posted by Shek

What's the most effective interrogation technique based on historical evidence? I'm currently reading some books on this subject but would be curious as to what books others might offer. Thanks.

No books sorry unless you can lay your hand on the second edition of The Green Book which cover techniques and responses. Since it deals with the British I'd assume it'd cover the Five Techniques, seeing as how they had personal experience.
I think I can still find some scans of original documentation from the School of Americas if you want but I can't remember how much detail it went into.

Waterboarding is an old technique..... not many can with stand.

Originally Posted by Simullacrum

Waterboarding is an old technique..... not many can with stand.

Any books that cite that this is effective that use empirical evidence? I'm not looking for heresay.

Originally Posted by Shek

Any books that cite that this is effective that use empirical evidence? I'm not looking for heresay.

Nothing heresay about it.... it is an awfull method of torture.
Tho in some countries they try to justify it as not a torture method... cause of its effective use. inducing gaging/asphixiation to the point of drowning, then you have the other physical marks from the strugle... and then after 'getting through it' usually with the detained giving up, in some cases haveing mental issues, steming from the 'treatment'.... it is torture.

Unfortunatley it is not only used for torturing our 'enemies' but also used on our own for 'training' purposes.

I do not have a specific book that can tell you 'numbers', im sure that is kept behind closed doors.
There is probably plenty on the web, its been done to death. (no pun intended)

Originally Posted by Simullacrum

Nothing heresay about it.... it is an awfull method of torture.
Tho in some countries they try to justify it as not a torture method... cause of its effective use. inducing gaging/asphixiation to the point of drowning, then you have the other physical marks from the strugle... and then after 'getting through it' usually with the detained giving up, in some cases haveing mental issues, steming from the 'treatment'.... it is torture.

Unfortunatley it is not only used for torturing our 'enemies' but also used on our own for 'training' purposes.

I do not have a specific book that can tell you 'numbers', im sure that is kept behind closed doors.
There is probably plenty on the web, its been done to death. (no pun intended)

Simullacrum,

Thus far, I've come across the top interrogator for Nazi Germany as claiming that torture (waterboarding included) is counterproductive, the most prominent American interrogator over the last three decades of the past century claiming the same thing, and the most recent story of the interrogator that broke open the Zarqawi case as claiming the same. On top of that, the most effective interrogator at Abu Ghraib for one of the interrogation companies was a door-to-door vacuum salesman (think about it).

There's pretty strong evidence out there that torture is not necessary and that fear tactics are less useful than tactics that establish rapport. This is why I'd like to see actual evidence that 1) waterboarding is effective (it leads to real intel, not just to a prisoner talking to make the drowning stop) and 2) rapport building techniques by skilled interrogators failed.