We've talked on these pages about James Mitchell's book, "Enhanced Interrogation." And in it, Dr. Mitchell provides a convincing case for enhanced interrogation of captured terrorists to elicit information that might save lives in the future. Much has happened since he practiced that art, including his getting sued by the ACLU. The case ended in a settlement, so there will be no transcripts of sworn testimony made public.
Enhanced interrogation fell out of favor rather quickly as Democrats discovered one more reason to condemn President Bush. So now to get someone hostile to your way of life to divulge information you have to be nice to them.
Here's a glimpse of that process at The scientists persuading terrorists to spill their secrets. Some excerpts:
The best interviewers are versatile: they know when to be sympathetic, when to be direct and forthright. What they rarely do is impose their will on the interviewee, either overtly, through aggression, or covertly, through the use of “tricks” – techniques of unconscious manipulation, which make the interviewer feel smart but are often seen through by interviewees. Above all, rapport, in the sense used by the Alisons, describes an authentic human connection. “You’ve got to mean it,” is one of Laurence’s refrains.
The Alisons named their research project Orbit (Observing Rapport-based Interpersonal Techniques). Part of its purpose is to provide an anatomy of rapport, the better to understand what creates and destroys it. At the heart of the Alisons’ model is an insight from a neighbouring field. During the years when she worked on police cases with Laurence, Emily Alison had come to see interrogation as a close relation of addiction counselling. Both involve getting someone who does not want to be in the same room as you to talk about something they do not want to talk about.
... One of their most striking findings is that suspects are likelier to talk when the interviewer emphasises their right not to. “The more pressure you put on a person, the less likely they are to speak to you. You need to make them feel responsible for their choices,” said Laurence. “You can’t bullshit, you’ve got to mean it.” He slips into character. “Ian, you don’t have to speak to me today. Whether you do or not isn’t up to me. It isn’t up to your solicitor. It’s up to you.
“These are powerful tools to get inside someone’s head,” said Laurence. “But they’re not tricks. You have to be genuinely curious. There’s a reason this person has ended up opposite you, and it’s not just because they’re evil. If you’re not interested in what that is, you’re not going to be a good interrogator.”
If it works better than waterboarding, then all the better. And now that the Obama administration is out of office, maybe more high value terrorists will be captured and given the opportunity to spill their guts.
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12:56 PM 11/23/2017
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