Everything you wanted to know about old Army interrogations

[ryanus]

...but were afraid to ask.

In the Army, each soldier has a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). For the interrogators, the MOS is 97E. A description of 97E is below.

"97E--Human Intelligence Collector
Major duties. The Human Intelligence Collector (HUMINT Collector) supervises and conducts tactical HUMINT collection operations that include, but are not limited to, debriefings, interrogations and elicitations in English and foreign languages for positive intelligence and force protection information; screens Human Intelligence (HUMINT) sources and documents to establish priorities for exploitation; under CI supervision, plans and participates in counterintelligence and Force Protection Operations (CFSO). Translates and exploits captured enemy documents, foreign language and open source publications. Prepares and edits appropriate intelligence and administrative reports; utilizes CI/HUMINT reporting and communications equipment; uses interpreters and manages interpreter/translator operations; conducts liaison and coordination in foreign language with host nation agencies; conducts analysis and performs briefings as required."

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/enlistedjobs/a/97e.htm

HUMINT is an acronym for Human Intelligence (versus Signal Intelligence, etc.), CI is CounterIntelligence (making sure your own guys aren't leaking info).

The official manual on how to do interrogations is in Field Manual FM 34-52. This manual also covers the processing of individuals who will be questioned. The entire manual can be found online here -> http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/policy/army/fm/fm34-52/toc.htm

The part of the manual that deals with approaches to interrogations can be found in Appendix H of the FM here -> http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/policy/army/fm/fm34-52/app-h.htm

Note that the manual has nothing about torture, nothing about physical "pressure." In fact, if you read the approaches, they are pretty clever.

DIRECT APPROACH
INCENTIVE APPROACH
EMOTIONAL LOVE APPROACH
EMOTIONAL HATE APPROACH
INCREASED FEAR UP APPROACH
DECREASED FEAR DOWN APPROACH
PRIDE AND EGO APPROACH
FUTILITY TECHNIQUE APPROACH
"WE KNOW ALL" APPROACH
"ESTABLISH YOUR IDENTITY" APPROACH
REPETITION APPROACH
FILE AND DOSSIER APPROACH
"MUTT AND JEFF" ("FRIEND AND FOE") APPROACH
RAPID FIRE APPROACH
SILENCE APPROACH

Under the Geneva Convention, the prisoner is only required to give name, rank, and serial number. It is the job of the interrogator to get the prisoner to give more information voluntarily or through deception, but NOT physical torture. The interrogator can lie through his teeth about all sorts of stuff, but he must make sure the basic needs of the prisoner are met, which includes food and medical treatment.

There are two reasons the US adopted these guideline for interrogation. The first is that this is what civilized people do. Civilized people do not stoop to barbarity to try to protect themselves. The barbaric action of your enemy does not justify you to be barbaric. And secondly, these guidelines yield a much higher quality of information gleaned from the prisoners. Torture can actually be easier for the interrogator, but does not give as reliable results.

So now Bush is telling us that we need torture. That means we are no good at the better interrogation techniques anymore. He also says that since these detainees are not part of an organized unit or national military force, that the Geneva Convention doesn't apply to them. But like I said, one of the reason for adopting the Geneva Convention was to declare that we are civilized and that we will not resort to barbaric acts against anyone.

The interrogator were not scared to do interrogations because they thought they might be brought up for war crimes. THEY FOLLOWED THE OFFICIAL MANUAL ON HOW TO DO IT! It's not like the interrogators are unsure of what to do. It is drilled into them CONSTANTLY that they must not deviate from the approved techniques in the manual. They are also totally schooled on the Geneva Convention. It is tru that that if a soldier is ordered to do something outside what guidelines are listed in the manual and that go against the Geneva Conventions, saying that their superior officer ordered them to do it is no defense. That's why there is the manual.

Let me tell you something. I suggest that you read over a few of the interrogation techniques in the field manual I linked to, because you never know when you might be put in a situation where they are being used against you, and you don't even know it. Police uses similar techniques, too. Reading up on Psychological Operation (FM 33-1-1) may not be a bad idea either -> http://www.enlisted.info/field-manuals/fm-33-1-1-psychological-operations-techniques-and-procedures.shtml

[MADem]

1. Mutt and Jeff works best, but it takes forever NT