# Why is the Terrorist talking??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 22, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174 "2002-11-22T16:48:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EchoKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@EchoKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EchoKitty)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/1 "2002-11-22T16:48:43Z")
I’m not sure if this is a debate, but I didn’t know where else to put it, so… This link [http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/alqaedachief\_021122.html](http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/alqaedachief_021122.html) talks about all the information we’re getting out of Al-Nashiri since his capture. Why would this guy start blabbing, if he’s on a mission from god and he’s already going to be put to death for his involvement in terrorist acts against the U.S.? I just don’t understand what the benefit would be. My guess is that the U.S. is just saying he blabbed so they can freak the bad guys out and get them to start moving around. What do you think? Is this guy readily spilling his guts or are we just playing a game with the bad guys? Discuss. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/2 "2002-11-22T19:57:34Z")
Sometimes people spill their guts for strange reasons. They want to justify themeselves to the cops. Or the get caught in a lie, and try to justify the lie, which leads them to reveal more than they thought they would. Sometimes sheer loneliness will do it. Leave somebody in solitary for a week and they might just start talking to the first guy they see who acts a little friendly. Humans are very social creatures. Take someone out of the social context where they are a terrorist mastermind and put them in the social context of being a helpless prisoner and sometimes even the hardest people crack. You never know. But you’re also right that it’s the oldest trick in the book: “Your buddy has already confessed and says you arranged everything. What’s your side of the story?” Putting out rumors that someone has defected, or is giving up secrets is almost as effective as if they really have. Even if the person hasn’t really talked, his co-conspirators have to act AS IF he talked. They must change procedures, junk plans, abandon safe houses, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Rougy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@Rougy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rougy)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/3 "2002-11-22T20:36:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by EchoKitty \* > \*\*I’m not sure if this is a debate, but I didn’t know where else to put it, so… > > My guess is that the U.S. is just saying he blabbed so they can freak the bad guys out and get them to start moving around. > \*\* I’d have to agree there. The Pentagon wouldn’t tell us anything that it didn’t have to, considering its open contempt for the American public. The DOD uses the media like a dog, and there’s absolutely no reason for us to put any faith in these reports. [www.theblackflag.org](http://www.theblackflag.org) ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/4 "2002-11-22T22:54:19Z")
Well, **Rougy** , you just have it all figured out now don’t you. :rollseyes: Considering that they did have that one terrorist (name?) a few **months** before anybody found out I do think they are getting pretty good at this secrecy stuff. Which is a good thing. The reason given in the article for his capture being made public is that it was hoped it would scare Bin Laden into moving. This would make him easier to capture which makes sense to me. As far as him talking, it doesn’t surprise me. IMHO, the crazier they are the more likely they are to talk. This guy is probably proud of what he has done. It’s human nature to want to talk about it. Just a matter of time really. Plus I would imagine that the interigators are very good. Probably a fleet of psycologists looking through a one way mirror at this guy. The Japanese prisoners taken during WWII had been told that if they were captured they would be considered dead back home. This had the effect of them not really having any reason not to talk once captured, and they often spilled thier guts, much to the surprise of the Allies. ---
**Author:** ![Kalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Kalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalt)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/5 "2002-11-23T00:22:48Z")
maybe we got off our asses and started to torture him (more thoroughly). ---
**Author:** ![Rougy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@Rougy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rougy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/6 "2002-11-23T07:03:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Debaser \* > **Well, Rougy, you just have it all figured out now don’t you.** Frankly, no, but only a putz would believe what the Pentagon or the corporate media would feed him. It’s like eating a worm that was nice enough to wink and curl its tail in a Marylin Monroe fashion. We have been lied to, systematically. The Pentagon, back in the 60’s, drew up plans to attack itself in order to draw the sheeple into supporting its goals. A 757 did NOT crash into the Pentagon. The Pentagon launched a cruise missile attack on itself. I wish that people like you, apparently intelligent, would start questioning more seriously the…crumb-bums who have seized our country for their own benefit. The more you protect them, the worse it will get. Can’t you see that? [http://www.theblackflag.org](http://www.theblackflag.org) ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/7 "2002-11-23T08:40:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rougy \* > \*\*A 757 did NOT crash into the Pentagon. > > The Pentagon launched a cruise missile attack on itself. > \*\* Two words: [Bull. Shit.](http://www.snopes.com/rumors/pentagon.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Rougy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@Rougy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rougy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/8 "2002-11-23T08:54:10Z")
Snopes is a fucking sellout. Where are the fucking seats? The bodies? The turbines? In short…THE EVIDENCE! Wake up. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/9 "2002-11-23T15:12:26Z")
Ignoring the conspiracist since that’s not what this thread is about, I strongly suspect Kalt got it right – he’s being tortured for information. Note that they have said they didn’t bring this guy into the U.S. for questioning. Note also that a rep. from Justice said they don’t have him, but that he’s either being held by the military or another government. So, you let the other government hold him and take care of him and do whatever is necessary to get information from him. That keeps our hands “technically” clean but still gets what we want from him… ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/10 "2002-11-23T16:29:39Z")
IIRC, the plans to attack the US were real. My source is… eh, darn. This book on the NSA. Body of Secrets. Turns out this one general had \_no\_respect for civilian command of the military, or Kennedy in specific. Operation Northwoods. General Lemnizer. Sucker was goatloving nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/11 "2002-11-23T19:08:26Z")
David- I strongly doubt that torture (the infliction of pain to overcome resistance) is being used. If any sort of coercion is being used it’s much more efficient to use drugs. Who’s got the time to waste waiting for him to break? ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/12 "2002-11-23T23:42:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rougy \* > \*\* > A 757 did NOT crash into the Pentagon. > \*\* So where’s the 4th plane was supposed to have hit the pentagon? Hijacked by the government and taken to Area 51? ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/13 "2002-11-23T23:51:04Z")
I like what Norm McDonald said about this when he was on Conan about a year ago. He was discussing how they were going to get the Taliban prisoners to talk and said he advocated torture. He said “Sure they’re willing to die for their beliefs, but are they will to take a white hot crowbar in the ass? How about their balls in a vice?” Still makes me smile 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/14 "2002-11-24T01:28:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rougy \* > \*\* > In short…THE EVIDENCE! > \*\* There is a couple that lives two blocks away from us, very good friends of ours. One of them has a cousin who lives in town and had a wedding planned here on the weekend after 9/11/01. It was to be a small intimate affair but she and this cousin were close and she and her husband were going to go. Sadly, her cousin’s fiance’s parents were on that flight. They were on their way here to attend their son’s wedding. The evidence, Roughy? What happened to them? Haj ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/15 "2002-11-24T01:41:57Z")
Don’t even try arguing with Roughy. He’s the sort that, if not for the multiple videos and eyewitness accounts, would insist that the WTC was hit by cruise missiles instead of hijacked airlines. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/16 "2002-11-24T04:08:46Z")
Jonathan Chance said: > [@](#): > > I strongly doubt that torture (the infliction of pain to overcome resistance) is being used. If any sort of coercion is being used it’s much more efficient to use drugs. Who’s got the time to waste waiting for him to break? Well, they apparently have had plenty of time, actually. But I suspect it’s a combination of both. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/17 "2002-11-24T04:25:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by David B \* > \*\*Jonathan Chance said: > > Well, they apparently have had plenty of time, actually. But I suspect it’s a combination of both. \*\* I guess it would depend on what you define as torture. There really is no line between psychological and physical torture. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/18 "2002-11-24T04:27:44Z")
Sure there’s a line. Psychological torture doesn’t actually stimulate your nerves to send pain signals to the brain. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/19 "2002-11-24T04:35:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Michael Ellis \* > \*\*Don’t even try arguing with Roughy. He’s the sort that, if not for the multiple videos and eyewitness accounts, would insist that the WTC was hit by cruise missiles instead of hijacked airlines. \*\* Actually, I’ve seen at least one web site that posulates that UFO’s were invovled in the WTC attack. Sadley, it appeared to be quite serious. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174/20 "2002-11-24T04:40:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by David B \* > \*\*Sure there’s a line. Psychological torture doesn’t actually stimulate your nerves to send pain signals to the brain. \*\* I don’t know that mental anguish is any different than physical anguish. Both make you feel bad enough in order to talk. Most psychological interrogation techniques involve a physical element as well. Bright lights, lack of sleep, being tightly confined, all entail a degree of physical discomfort. Simply being chained into a wooden chair while people question you few a hours can be very painful physically. Even in a “pure” psychological interrogation there is a cycle of comfort and discomfort used. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-terrorist-talking/138174.md?page=2)