An elite US interrogation unit will conduct "scientific research" to find better ways of questioning top suspected terrorists, US intelligence director Dennis Blair said Wednesday.
"It is going to do scientific research on that long-neglected area," Blair told the House Intelligence Committee, without elaborating on the nature of the techniques being tested.
A spokesman for Blair, Ross Feinstein, also declined to detail "specific research projects" but stressed that any such projects would follow US law, which forbids torture, and abide by internal review safeguards.
Blair said the task would fall to an interagency group of top US interrogators from across the intelligence community dubbed the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG).
"We've given it the responsibility of doing the scientific research to determine if there are better ways to get information from people that are consistent with our values," he said.
Blair said the HIG charter required it to abide by the US Army Field Manual, which forbids abusive interrogation techniques.
US interrogation tactics in the global war on terrorism have drawn heavy scrutiny in the United States and overseas because of the past use of techniques like waterboarding that meet international definitions of torture.
Obama formally abolished such methods shortly after taking office, drawing fire from former vice president Dick Cheney, who described them as critical to thwarting terrorist attacks in the wake of the September 11, 2001 strikes.
Asked to detail the research, Feinstein replied: "We are not going to discuss specific research projects, but Intelligence Community-sponsored research is performed in accordance with the law and institutional review board processes."
38 comments:
I think this is a good idea. While the issue of interrogation is pretty strongly disputed, the truth is that we need new methods of getting information out of potential sources. This being said, measures need to be taken to ensure that abuses are not committed by those interrogating, especially in the light of the waterboarding scandals of last year. Seriously, even though we are a nation that may be the target of serious plots, we need to keep in mind that we are a nation of rights, unalienable rights, and even those in our prisons are afforded these.
Scientific research on interrogation techniques could definately be influential on the overall safety of this country. With the end of torture techniques, this research could be the breakthrough on information recieved from could be terrorists.
I believe this "scientific research" will be beneficial in the long run. As long as it doesn't break the US law like they say it won't, this experiment will help receive useful information from suspected terrorists.
I think the question lies in how and who they're to conduct these "scientific research projects". Will they experiment on current High-Value Detaniees or first try it out on a hamster? And how trasparent will the government be in this research? I think a lot more questions will need to be answered before the public can form an opinion.
Ok, two things. It must really suck to be this guys press secretary. And second, what happend with all of our old techniuqes? car batteries and bolt cutters and lead pipes had been working so well for us. I mean seriously, if one of our men got captured do you think that the Jihadist extreamists would give our men the benifit of things like international law and moral bounderies? no, they'd do whatever thay had to to get what they wanted. So why should we go out of our way to baby them and play nice. Sometimes you've got to put your fist down and when it comes to saving countless american lives (as well as the lives of the citizens of other countries being targeted) i don't think we should be so picky in how we obtain our information and just be glad we got it.
This is going to be an interesting story to follow if they decide to reveal the techniques. It's amazing how science is being used to develop advancements in so many fields. This integration of science and interrogation should continue its development as long as drastic measures of torture are not utilized (though i believe that is at times necessary).
Great. Though I highly value human rights, I also believe that the United States must do what it must to obtain information from terrorists. If scientists can concoct a better way to acquire information from terrorists that doesn't involve torture or abuse, who would argue against it? We would be getting what we want and maintaining our moral values at the same time. Sounds like a plan to me.
There is no doubt that by using torture or interrogation techniques ( whoever came up with that name must have been the shrewdest person,..i think it was cheney) U.s is supporting the same thing it's fighting. This is against everything that America stands for. but looking at the situation at hand I honestly can't see this go away. I believe that it's Propaganda and designed to trick American people. in fact i won't be surprised if they name john yoo as the head of HIG.
The use of torture has always been a very controversial issue, so hopefully this "scientific research" will allow for better interrogation techniques. However, although I lack complete knowledge in the field of interrogation methods, I can not think of what technique would be more powerful than torture. The use of violence is effective. People will naturally comply with orders simply to avoid pain. True, there are other methods that are more focused mentally rather than physically. But are they as effective? I do believe, however, that torture is inhumane; hopefully HIG will be able to develop new interrogation techniques that do not involve torture.
Sure theres a moral limit to what should happen in interogations, but in real life, if we dont do what we have to do to keep our country safe, our morals wont be around long enough to be upheld.
I think its a good idea that they are researching more effective and new ways to interrogate. Personally, I think that some of the methods that are outlawed as torture should be allowed in the interrogation process, terrorists and those who threaten american lives shouldn't have that comfort to look forward to.
They should test what the best method of getting information out of a prisoner is, torture is never reliable but, we should be looking for a better way.
torture by darth vader and his storm troopers really seems like a joke! it seems like the HIC is trying to find nicer ways to torture terrorists. is there even such a thing??
While it is vital to obtain information from terror suspects, interrogation techniques used to obtain this information must be honest for the United States to act as a champion of human rights. The research and development of alternative and non-torturous methods to acquire this information is groundbreaking, serving as a massive step toward truly neutral interrogations. The United States has long neglected the subject of torture in detainee prisons under the Bush administration, so it is refreshing for anything even remotely advancing toward human rights retention to occur.
I think what they are doing is good. As long as their interrogation tactics follow the law, then why not try to prevent terrorism. If the experiment will find better and more efficient ways to question the terrorist... Im all for it.
It's a good thing the U.S. is looking into different forms of interrogation. With techniques like waterboarding, someone can be pressed into a false confession when he feels like he is dying. There has to be a form of interrogation that the U.S. can use effectively that doesn't count as torture.
I certainly hope this research they are conducting reaches the conclusion that dressing interrogators up as Star Wars characters is not an effective method of getting answers. They will be heavily scrutinized and laughed at by the public and by the people they are interrogating.
I think it's good that the US is researching better ways to perform interrogations.
Though little is known about the techniques being tested, it's good they would follow US law, US values, and the US Army Field Manual, yet still be effective.
I'm getting a teensy bit sick of all the talk of torture. Sometimes you have to scare the pants off people to get them to talk. I'm completely against torture and do disagree with some of the techniques that were abolished, but now it's like the public is getting too touchy on the subject. As awful as it sounds, sometimes you have to get tough on the enemy to protect our country.
I think such new techniques to interrogate suspected terrosits is much needed. Especially as the world grows more technologically advanced, so should such techniques to question possible terroists. Nonetheless, these new ways to interrogate will also bring about brand new worries and uncertainties concerning humane tactics, just as waterboarding became such a debaccle this past year.
I agree with the fact that they are trying to find other ways to prevent terrorism other than blunt torture. It will be interesting to see what they come up with. I hope they will find a successful method and not end up resorting back to former methods which have caused so much debate in the past.
Its a good idea, trying to take a different approach to interrogation methods.
This article is very vague. There is little said about how the "scientific research" will be done. It will be interesting to see the results of this project. I think the funding spent on this could probably be used on better things, but without knowing more about the process can say little else about it.
So, basically, we're going to "research" torture, without torturing people. I think it just gives an excuse to torture for information, but instead call it "research." I can see this being abused and calling further attention to the means of getting information.
It's about time we do some research on this. While extracting information from prisoners is vital, the ways we've gone about it in the past can be described as inhumane and I'm all for discovering methods that gain just as much information without causing permanent damage to those we are interrogating.
The bottomline is asking yourself whether or not you trust your government. That's all it comes down to.
Vader: "Your sister. So you have a twin sister..."
Luke: "No I don't fool!"
Vader: "Obi Wan was wise to hide her from me"
Luke: "I'm telling you I don't have a sister!!"
Vader: "If you won't turn to the darkside, then perhaps she will."
Luke "NOO!!!! I DONT HAVE A SISTER!!!!"
Palpatine: "This non torture interrogation isnt working too well... Waterboard him."
I think this is a great idea. Beating and torturing terrorists are not going to want to talk. Terrorism is getting worse and we do need to use this alternate way to get information from them.
It sounds ok with me.If they don't break the law they are not doing anything wrong.
First of all, the picture was pretty random, but maybe if they questioned people that way it would work to get things out of people (ha)
I guess its good that they're trying to find new ways that don't go under torture.
My main concern about this is who gets to determine who these top scientists are? How would thier practice be monitored for scientific standards? Certainly no medical doctor could do this work because it would violate the Hippocratic oath (my uncle is a doctor), which basically means doctors can do no harm. As far as I know, most social scientists (my mom is one) have to abide by similar ethical guide lines.
My main concern about this is who gets to determine who these top scientists are? How would their practice be monitored for scientific standards? Certainly no medical doctor could do this work because it would violate the Hippocratic oath (my uncle is a doctor), which basically means doctors can do no harm. As far as I know, most social scientists (my mom is one) have to abide by similar ethical guide lines.
Intelligence/ Interrogation techniques force the world to ask the age old philosophical question, "Does the End justify the Means". Personally I am very aware of the importance of responsible intelligence techniques, but I have to say that I find it ironic that the United State's "interrogation tactics in the global war on terrorism have drawn heavy scrutiny in the United States and overseas". In a global community where extreme interrogation techniques are often the norm, the United States of America stands firm as a rare example of a country which consistently stands against cruel and unusual punishment.
This is pretty interesting its nice interrogation.What i find really cool is the HIG,being one of those takes lots of skill especially when it is toward a terroist.The different outlook on interrogation is good,having the torture techniques were not very satisfying and now having them out of there is better because it doesnt waste as much time,because u can be there a whole day torturing someone who is never gonna confess so why bother. Although in many other situations it does work.It is a very neat way then from past systems which worked all the same.Its like stop wasting time just get the facts already.
i feel like its a good thing that we are taking steps like these, in the fact that people respond better when they are treated better, not all things we do to terrorist are humaine, if we do scientific research on the brain and things like that to see the way it responds and reacts to certain situations we can take what we know and tatically use it.
I think that if we need to gain information from a terrorist we should devise unique mind tricks in doing so. Harming and torturing people is just so inhuman these days and Obama has the right outlook on that this matter. We should not abuse someone from holding information but bribe or tempt a person that is withholding information that is valuable. There should be a justifiable limit on what we should be able to do and what we shouldn't and harming people is just wrong. Don't invoke fear upon people because all you will do in the end is piss them off. GO OBAMA!
So I guess using the force to strangle someone probably constitutes as "abusive interrogation techniques" I think if they are really having trouble interogating terrorists they need to put Jack Bower on the job.
I agree that there should be other ways to torture or just get information out of people. Torture goes against most people morals and i think it is a smart move by them to try to attain new ways to get to people.
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