Ask A Former Army Interrogator

[SparrowHawk77]

How good are lie detectors?

 

[civ_king]

Fluently? English. However I did learn enough Arabic to get by in Iraq. The reason they didn't send us to a language school is because at the time our MOS was considered "mission critical". All the Arabic I learned was taught to me by my interpreter.

That seems silly that they wouldn't give you training in Arabic while not doing other stuff.



Did they give you training in the local culture?

 

[Commodore]

How do you ensure the veracity of the subject's statements?

Through multi-source reporting. Those multiple sources can be anything from other HUMINT sources to SIGINT sources or GEOINT (satellite imagery). Source reliability is also factored in, and that is determined by how many accurate reports that source has provided in the past.

How good are lie detectors?

Not very good. That's why although we use them, we don't rely on them to determine the truthfulness of the information being provided. The best use I got out of them was the psychological factor. If you are interrogating someone who doesn't understand how the lie detector works, they will assume it is some magic machine that can instantly tell they are lying. I can then use this assumption to get them to tell me the truth because they think it is impossible for them to lie to me. See, it's all about mental manipulation.

That seems silly that they wouldn't give you training in Arabic while not doing other stuff.



Did they give you training in the local culture?

Yeah all the HUMINT Collectors complained about that as well, especially since in about a year they are going to kick out or reclass all the HUMINT Collectors that haven't learned a language.

Yes they did give us training on the culture, but it was mostly up to the individual collector to educate themselves on the area they would be operating in. That's the thing about HUMINT, about 75% of your job revolves around preparation to actually do your job.

 

[warpus]

You ever engage in any water boarding or other types of torture? How successful was it?

 

[IdiotsOpposite]

What factored into your decision to become an interrogator?

 

[Commodore]

You ever engage in any water boarding or other types of torture? How successful was it?

I never engaged in it. What my Iraqi counterparts did while I took a bathroom break however, is another story.

What factored into your decision to become an interrogator?

I wanted to be a part of the intelligence community, but I didn't want a job that had me sit in an office all day. A HUMINT Collector was the only intelligence job that offered a real chance to do all the stuff an infantryman does plus collect valuable intelligence. In short, it was an exciting and challenging job, so I jumped at the chance to take it.

 

[Flying Pig]

OK, I've got one - do you enjoy the R2I training anything like as much as you seem to? I did it with the British Army in Brecon once, and the DS all seemed to be having a whale of a time - except for one, whose subject managed to break him, but that's a story for another day.

 

[Ajidica]

but that's a story for another day.

I think that is a story for today.

 

[Commodore]

OK, I've got one - do you enjoy the R2I training anything like as much as you seem to? I did it with the British Army in Brecon once, and the DS all seemed to be having a whale of a time - except for one, whose subject managed to break him, but that's a story for another day.

Do you mean when I went through R2I? If so, I was the subject being interrogated and I didn't enjoy it at all.

 

[Flying Pig]

I think that is a story for today.

Alright. Picture the scene - it's the early seventies, and Corporal Pig, having been 'advised' to apply for special forces by his company OC (along with about twenty of his colleagues!), has just evaded an enemy force with dogs for 3 days, wearing an old Forties greatcoat without any buttons. We've finished most of the training now, and there's only 3 left from B Company, and LCpl Jones had been captured before the other two (captured or not, you still report for the TQ phase), myself and a bloke that everyone on the course had called Legs because he moved over the ground faster than a racing snake. While in his interrogation, the interrogator taunts him (bearing in mind that we'd barely eaten in days) by placing a chocolate bar on the table at which he is sat and telling him that he can have it if he co-operates. Unfortunately, the man makes the mistake of looking away for a split-second, in which Legs grabs the chocolate and stuffs it down his throat. Cpl Pig and the two other men in the 'holding pen' hear the interrogator go absolutely ballistic and Legs being 'escorted out' grinning like a lunatic.

Do you mean when I went through R2I? If so, I was the subject being interrogated and I didn't enjoy it at all.

I meant deliving the interrogation - which for us actually contravened the Geneva Convention at several points, because we volunteered (or in my case, were 'advised' to volunteer by our OCs) for it!

 

[Dreadnought]

Two questions: Have you ever been in a full-combat situation that required you to fight with standard units, or is your job sufficiently "safe"? Also, I assume you use translators for your work; how reliable is the interrogation process while using a translator?

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Through multi-source reporting. Those multiple sources can be anything from other HUMINT sources to SIGINT sources or GEOINT (satellite imagery). Source reliability is also factored in, and that is determined by how many accurate reports that source has provided in the past.

So basically it's just another source of information. I see. Can you say anything about the accuracy rate?

While in his interrogation, the interrogator taunts him (bearing in mind that we'd barely eaten in days) by placing a chocolate bar on the table at which he is sat and telling him that he can have it if he co-operates. Unfortunately, the man makes the mistake of looking away for a split-second, in which Legs grabs the chocolate and stuffs it down his throat. Cpl Pig and the two other men in the 'holding pen' hear the interrogator go absolutely ballistic and Legs being 'escorted out' grinning like a lunatic.

Best training story ever.

 

[GenMarshall]

Do you have any regrets applying questionable interigationn methods?

 

[NickyJ]

As an interrogator, what are your opinions on waterboarding?

 

[Commodore]

Two questions: Have you ever been in a full-combat situation that required you to fight with standard units, or is your job sufficiently "safe"? Also, I assume you use translators for your work; how reliable is the interrogation process while using a translator?

1. Yes I have been in combat situations. To build my source network, I had to go on patrol with an infantry battalion so if they were attacked, I had to fight alongside them. I would also go along when they would conduct a raid to capture someone or sieze a weapons cache. Naturally we would encounter resistance on those operations.

2. Yes I used a translator and he was very good. He was born in Iraq, but came to the United States and became a citizen after the Six Day War. He was a conscript in the Iraqi Army back then so he knew a good deal about military operations. He was also able to teach me all the little nuances of Iraqi culture since he had been born there. His familiarity with the specific dialects unique to Iraq also meant he could translate better than most of the other translators. This is becasue for some reason the Army hires a lot of Sudanese people as Arabic translators. Sure they know Arabic, but they are familiar with Sudanese dialects, which are pretty much useless in Iraq.

In short, I lucked out with the translator I got, but other teams had trouble with their translators.

So basically it's just another source of information. I see. Can you say anything about the accuracy rate?

It seems like an overly simple system, but it actually does produce accurate and timely intelligence that commanders can use to complete their missions. The only time the system doesn't work is when someone gets lazy. Either the collector isn't thorough enough in his/her questioning or assessment of the source, or an analyst doesn't cross check with other reports to verify the info.

Do you have any regrets applying questionable interigationn methods?

No, because in the end the intelligence I collected saved a lot of lives and allowed my fellow soldiers complete their mission. Plus, I never personally applied the methods, that was a job better suited to my Iraqi counterparts. I just extracted the information once they were done doing whatever it is they would do.

 

[Commodore]

As an interrogator, what are your opinions on waterboarding?

The same opinion I have for any other torture method: I don't use it because it doesn't work.

 

[Synobun]

Have you ever been in a combat situation where you almost got captured? If so, did you have any protocols to follow if that would happen?

 

[Commodore]

Have you ever been in a combat situation where you almost got captured? If so, did you have any protocols to follow if that would happen?

Nah, never came close to being captured. But yes there are protocols in place for any soldier in the US Army if they are captured. It is called the Soldier's Code of Conduct and it goes like this(It's not classified so I can post it):

I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.

I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender the members of my command while they still have the means to resist.

If I am captured I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and to aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.

If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information or take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way.

When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give name, rank, service number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause.

I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.

 

[Takhisis]

Can you handle the truth?

You can't handle the truth!

Family and money. My wife didn't want me to get deployed again and my skills as an interrogator makes me a lot more money in the civilian world than in the military.

What does a civilian (non-military) interrogator do?

As an interrogator, what are your opinions on waterboarding?

The same opinion I have for any other torture method: I don't use it because it doesn't work.

Breaking them mentally is better, eh? I've always thought torture enhanced interrogation techniques was more about the sadism of the torturers enhanced interrogators than getting any 'real' benefits. Glad to see you don't start using weird names, I wish officials from every country used real words instead of euphemisms.

 

[Verarde]

What got you interested in being an interrogator?