Cookies Or Torture, Which Works Best When Eliciting Info From A Prisoner?

[Me.]

According to NBC Night;y News and a new book coming out, the FBI agent (Pirro?) in charge of interrogating Saddam, gained his confidence (and the info he wanted) by supplying Saddam with the suit he wore to court, telling him what was going on in the outside world and flying in special cookies for his birthday.

[mzteris]

1. like my grandaddy always said -

you can catch more flies with honey, than with vinegar.

[Rosemary2205]

3. My granddaddy said

"you wouldn't know honey was sweet if it weren't for vinegar". No kidding, word for word. It was his way of telling us to bear our difficulties and appreciate our blessings.

[Rosemary2205]

2. Good cop bad cop probably works.

The guy bringing the cookies has to look like a friend/confidant compared to the rest of the people surrounding the prisoner.

Having said that, I have read over and over and over again that physical torture simply does not work, but psychological "games" do work well - though they take time.

[Gabi Hayes]

4. BOTH! check this

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1681195,00.html

[Balbus]

5. I guess it would depend on the info and the urgency...

If I wanted to know where the closest gas station was, I'd probably bust out a cookie. If I wanted to know the whereabouts of, say, my kidnapped child - you'd be in for a long day.

[Ian David]

6. You offer me a couple Bi Asian women, and I'll spill the beans on anything. No torture required.

Except for what I and the Asian women negotiate.

My safeword is "PlameGate."

[MrSlayer]

7. Well it depends on if you want the truth or not.

If you want someone to admit to something they haven't done, torture is probably the way to go.