questioning of captured al quaeda boss

I can’t figure out how our operatives can expect to get any valuable information from the recently captured al quaeda guy. Why do they question these guys? What would lead them to trust any information that they extract? What’s the point of asking your sworn enemy what his confederates are planning to do to you? How can they plan to rely on such questionable (dis)information?

Well, it never hurts to ask.

Sort of like the beauiful girl you’re afraid to talk to in school. If you actually asked her out, she may actually want to go out with you.

Or she could blow you off.

This is the same sort of situation as I see it.

I have to suggest that there’s a world of difference here. My question has to do with international security, war and peace, powerful forces, secret plans, fights to the death, martyrs, human sacrifices, suicide bombers, and so forth. Your suggestion that it’s sort of like asking Mary Jane to the dance misses what I believe to be my point. I was asking how they get credible information from a sworn and zealous enemy, and how they determine its validity. Perhaps I didn’t make that clear enough.

From my point of view:
I’d assume that when he gave them information, they’d cross-check it with other information they have on the board from a) other captured “detainees” and b) general spying. If the information is the same in both cases, they have a fair assumption that it is correct. If one contradicts the other, they’d have to use more field ops to validate one and toss the other out the window. It’s a tricky business.

Sounds like a win win scenario

Well, it’s not necessarily Americans doing the asking – some of our allies have no problem using, shall we say, intense means of interrogation that we’re not allowed to employ.

It was mentioned on CNN yesterday that the stuff they were getting from this guy was being “verified” by asking other al Qaeda captives about things he mentioned.

Talking may come easy for some fence-rider Al-Queda members
if the choices are Death or Immunity and Witness Relocation Program and American Citizenship and a Tobacco Store Business as a reward for good reliable information. They have ways to make these guys spill the beans. :smiley: :smiley:

Those techniques are sometimes known as physical intimidation (or psychological, pharmaceutical, etc.).

Pity we don’t have better relations with Castro…

*(ring ring)

El Presidente’s office.

How many?

It’ll cost you. Fidel wants…

That will do fine. The wagon will be there in an hour. We should have results back to you by Thursday.

That much? Then we can have results by Tuesday.

You too. 'Bye.
*

I may have oversimplified, but my basic point is that you won’t know anything if you don’t ask.

Ermm, without turning this into The Pit…

I wouldn’t be surprised to find that the American Military forces and Intelligence Operatives might in this case be using something more intense than merely raised voices to extract information from these people. And things are quite carefully arranged so you can’t just show up unexpectedly and visit the Al Qaeda Guy.

Sometimes you really don’t want to know the steps that people take to to defend your country.

Actually, I DO want to know. And I don’t want beating or drugging information out of them.

Sleep deprivation seems likely.

It’s important to remember, too, that people like to talk and that a skilled interregator can take advantage of this. Sometimes you can get a guy to brag, or to give up one fact to contradict another, more serious allegation, or whatever.

Of course, sometimes (often) prisoners lie, too. So clearly corroboration is called for when possible. But as has been said, if you don’t ask, you definitely don’t learn anything.

Some military person will soon be along to explain in more detail than I can why torture doesn’t work.

Sleep deprivation and psychological manipulation lead to much better results, and are less messy.

Most, if not all the information they have gotten so far, came from his cell phone and computer. These things can also give them facts, which can be used to varify what he is saying. They say he likes to talk, but not about the subjects they are interested in. :frowning:

That made me laugh drachillix!

There’s also the possibility that once the captured prisoner finds out that he’s not going to be killed immediately, he’ll begin to question other things that he’s been told about the enemy, and perhaps spill his guts. Additionally, what he doesn’t say can be just as informative as what he does say. Finally, he might be inspired to spill his guts once the captors say something like, “We know all about Operation Nosepicker and have moved our agents into stop it.” The prisoner, realizing that their best operation has been blown, decides to spill his guts about the others, in hopes of being able to negotiate better surrender terms.

This was mentioned on another thread.

To summerize, the points for not using toture goes as follows:

  1. A totured person would probably admit to raping his mother if you did horrible enough things to him, just to get the pain to stop. He’s telling you want you want to hear, not nessecary what’s true. And if he’s giving false information, what’s the use of listening to what he says?

  2. Do you really want someone who ENJOYS doing horrible things to people working for you?(IE, Mr. Blonde in Resevour Dogs) Remember, interrogation is a means to an end, not something you want someone getting off on.