American Interrogation
Direct Questioning
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Description: Verbal
questioning of a detainee. It
works in 95 percent of
situations.
Physical, Psychological, or
Other Effects: None
Locations Used: Iraq,
Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay
Legal Opinion: Considered
legal for all prisoners of war. A
prisoner who gives his name,
rank, and serial number may
still be questioned under
reasonable conditions.
“Fear-up” Mild & Harsh
Description: Dagger on
table technique
 Throwing objects and loud
threats
 Physical, Psychological,
or Other Effects: Such
questioning may rise to the
level of psychological
coercion or mental duress.
 Locations Used: Iraq,
Guantanamo Bay,
Afghanistan
 Legal Opinion: Generally
acceptable up to a point.
No physical contact.
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Pride and Ego
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Description: Involves
flattering/tricking a
detainee into talking about
the greatness of his
military/terrorist org.
Physical, Psychological,
or Other Effects: If it
worked, detainees may feel
remorseful afterward.
Locations Used: Iraq,
Guantanamo Bay,
Afghanistan
Legal Opinion: No
problems
Futility
Description: resistance is
futile. The prisoner has no
hope and must help the
U.S. in order to be spared.
 Psychol. Effects:
Detainees who actually
believe their existence to
be futile may become
depressed/ suicidal
 Locations Used: Iraq,
Guantanamo Bay,
Afghanistan
 Legal Opinion: The
futility approach does not
break the law, but can
when prisoners are held
for long periods
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"Mutt and Jeff" (aka "good cop/bad
cop")
Description: “Bad cop"
threatens/acts in a way
that creates fear/anxiety.
“Good cop" comes in to
displace the bad cop, to
protect the detainee.
 Physical, Psychological
Effects: Negligible
 Locations Used: Iraq,
Guantanamo Bay,
Afghanistan
 Legal Opinion: Rarely
illegal
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Dietary Manipulation
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Descrip: Withdrawal of
hot meals in favor of an
all-MRE diet as
punishment. MRE=“meal
ready to eat”. Also may
alter timing of meals
Phys. or Pych. Effects:
Feeding them an MRE diet
is unlikely to harm them.
Diet modification, could
cause psychological
effects.
Locations Used: Iraq,
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Legal opinion: Legal
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Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan
Exploiting individual phobias, e.g.
use of dogs
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Description: "increasing
anxiety by use of aversions."
This technique may be
followed by scare
tactics/threats. Also may let
the dog off the leash so it
could tear into the detainee's
flesh. The tactic can also be
conducted in public areas to
scare other detainees.
Physical, Psych. Effects:
Severe emotional distress;
paranoia; physical
manifestations of the fear such
as high heart rate, & increased
blood pressure.
Exploiting individual phobias cont.
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Locations Used: Iraq,
Guantanamo Bay
Legal Opinion: Army
intelligence doctrine does
not directly speak to dog
use because the dogs
belong to military police
units. Military police
doctrine does not allow
threatening use of dogs.
Mild, non-injurious physical contact, e.g.
grabbing, poking, or light pushing
Description: Physical
contact can result in mild
injuries ex) cuts, bruises.
In some cases, it can also
result in broken or
dislocated limbs.
 Physical,
Psychological, or
Other Effects: Severe
emotional distress;
paranoia; high heart rate
& increased blood
pressure
 Legal Opinion:
Relatively permissible.
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Mock executions
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Description: Detainee
digs own grave or is fired
upon close to head/body
Physical,
Psychological, or
Other Effects: Severe
mental suffering.
Locations Used: Iraq
Legal Opinion: Violates
Law
"Sleep adjustment"; "Sleep
deprivation"
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Description: altering the
sleep cycles of detainees
by reversing day and night
to induce disorientation, or
keeping them awake (not
to exceed 4 days)
Physical, Psychological
Effects: Can impair memory,
learning, & other cognitive
functions. Can cause memory
and speech impairments.
Locations Used: Iraq,
Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan
Illegal
Removal of clothing; sexual
humiliation
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Description: sexual
humiliation to break
down detainees
Physical,
Psychological, or
Other Effects:
degradation
Locations Used: Iraq,
Guantanamo Bay
Legal Opinion: Illegal
"Stress positions, like standing"
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Description: Posing a
detainee in a standing position
several hours. No restraints
are used. Variations-the
extension of one's arms to side
Biological effects: producing
'excruciating pain' as ankles
double in size, skin 'tense and
intensely painful,' blisters erupt
oozing 'watery serum,' heart
rates soar, kidneys shut down,
and delusions deepen.
Locations Used: Iraq,
Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan
Illegal
Isolation for up to 30 days
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Description:
sequestering an inmate in
a cell by himself with no
outside contact for up to
30 days
Psychological effects:
psychological harm
Locations Used: Iraq,
Guantanamo Bay,
Afghanistan
No ruling on this practice
Water boarding
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Description: induce
the misperception of
suffocation
Physical,
Psychological: Severe
mental suffering; no
physical effects unless
the tactic results in
suffocation.
Locations Used:
Unknown secret locations
Illegal
Physical beatings
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Description: beating captives
during interrogation until they
are seriously injured, or in
some cases, dead.
Physical, Psychological, or
Other Effects: Several
physical abuse has resulted in
soft-tissue damage, orthopedic
injuries, neurological damage,
and death.
Locations Used: Iraq,
Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan
Illegal
11/03 Journal: Torture in
Interrogation
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Should the US allow torture as a means of
interrogation? Is it effective? Explain.
Should any type of interrogation be
acceptable? Are our interrogation tactics
too tough/lax? Should torture be allowed
on American domestic terrorists (i.e.,
Boston Marathon bomber)? Explain.
Religious desecration
Description:
Jumping/burning a
Koran/Bible
 Physical,
Psychological, or
Other Effects: None
 Locations Allegedly
Used: Afghanistan
and Guantanamo
 Illegal
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Deployment of the Immediate
Reaction Force (aka "IRFings")
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Description: military
police would rush into a
cell to grab a detainee,
forcibly subdue him, bind
him, and take him out.
Severe Physical Injuries
Locations Used:
Guantanamo Bay
Legal?: Should be used
as quick reaction force
not as punishers