Ex-Interrogator: Torture Doesn't Work

[unhappycamper]

Ex-Interrogator: Torture Doesn't Work
December 06, 2008
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Writing under the pseudonym of Matthew Alexander, a former special intelligence operations officer, who in 1996 led an interrogations team in Iraq, has written a compelling book where he details his direct experience with torture practices. He conducted more than 300 interrogations and supervised more than a thousand and was awarded a Bronze Star for his achievements in Iraq. Alexander's nonviolent interrogation methods led Special Forces to Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the head of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. His new book is titled "How to Break a Terrorist: The US Interrogators Who Used Brains, Not Brutality, to Take Down the Deadliest Man in Iraq."

"It's extremely ineffective, and it's counterproductive to what we're trying to accomplish," he told reporters. "When we torture somebody, it hardens their resolve," Alexander explained. "The information that you get is unreliable ... And even if you do get reliable information, you're able to stop a terrorist attack, Al-Qaeda's then going to use the fact that we torture people to recruit new members." Alexander says torture techniques used in Iraq consistently failed to produce actionable intelligence and that methods outlined in the US Army Field Manual, which rest on confidence building, consistently worked and gave the interrogators access to critical information.

Publication of the book was delayed for six weeks to allow the Pentagon to scrutinize it. Alexander said he wrote it under a pseudonym for security reasons. He says the US military's use of torture is responsible for the deaths of thousands of US soldiers because it inspired foreign fighters to kill Americans.

His revelations are significant as, last July, a poll showed that 44 percent of Americans supported torture on "terrorist suspects." A key architect of America's torture program, Doug Feith, testified to Congress recently that torture is necessary because otherwise the US couldn't get any information out of the "bad guys". Many Congress members agreed. But now with a new administration about to take office, an outburst of protest against torture is being heard from highly respected sources.

A dozen retired generals met with President-elect Barack Obama's top legal advisers Wednesday, pressing their case to overturn some of the Bush administration's terrorism-fighting policies.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/exinterrogator-torture-doesnt--work.html?col=1186032310810

[Locrian]

1. but, but....

But..but... it works on teevee when Jack Bauer does it!!! So you mean is really doesnt work?! NO WAYYY dude....

(huge sarcasm)