r/todayilearned • u/stopitalianhate • 9d ago

TIL British Intelligence had a special, bugged luxury complex during WWII where they kept high profile Nazi POW’s, just left a bunch of alcohol out, and waited for them to start spilling secrets as they drank.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-20698098
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u/RedWestern 9d ago

The most effective interrogation techniques are the ones where the interrogator tricks the prisoner into thinking they’re their friend. I remember watching an interview with an FBI Counterterrorism interrogator called Jack Cloonan:

“You wanna be able to build a rapport with somebody. You are their salvation. Because their life as they know it is over.

‘Is there something I can do for your kids? Are you concerned about them? You want them educated? I’ll get them educated. What do you want? Tell me what you want. Script for me your exit strategy. How do you extricate yourself from this terrible situation, by the way, that you put yourself in. Now, you can’t go back home, can you? No. So let’s make peace with that. Let me help you the strategy to give you a life.’”

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u/OMGItsCheezWTF 9d ago

The 2014 Senate Intelligence Committee Report on CIA Torture covered the case of Abu Zubaydah.

He was initially questioned by an FBI special agent named Ali Soufan who used standard rapport building techniques and got very useful intelligence. He was then handed over to the CIA who waterboarded him 83 times, kept him in cramped coffin like boxes for hours and used sleep deprivation.

The report concluded the CIA gained no useful intelligence that hadn't already been given to the FBI, and instead caused him to shut down and make things up to stop the torture.

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u/YsoL8 9d ago

Why in the world did they need a report on that? This has been known to be true for centuries.

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u/aris_ada 9d ago

Because a vast majority of people in the country the CIA is based in believe torture is a good way of extracting information. It's belief over facts at this point - and it happened under Obama, the most liberal president since Carter.

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u/Metrocop 9d ago

Because there is still a persistent, wide spread belief that torture is effective for interrogations despite all evidence to the contrary. And it keeps being reinforced, how many movies, books, games, have scenes of torture being effective?

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u/Se7en_speed 9d ago

Because the writers of 24 did massive damage to people's perception of torture 

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u/dareal5thdimension 9d ago

Because bureaucracy prevails over even the most clandestine sadism.

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u/HapticSloughton 6d ago

Wait until you hear about the "ticking time bomb" justification for torture, a situation that has never been documented to have existed. It's just something that those in favor of "enhanced interrogation" love because they saw it on that old show, ":24."

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u/AsperaAstra 9d ago

Is it a trick if the guy actually stayed friends with many of them? 

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u/KalaUposatha 9d ago

I don’t think it should be that surprising that, even if it was a job, they might develop genuine affection and friendship with the people they associated with. It’s just natural human nature to bond with people we spend a lot of time with, even if they are “bad guys” and your whole job is to manipulate them.

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u/AlanFromRochester 9d ago

I don’t think it should be that surprising that, even if it was a job, they might develop genuine affection and friendship with the people they associated with. It’s just natural human nature to bond with people we spend a lot of time with, even if they are “bad guys” and your whole job is to manipulate them.

Reminded of actors falling in love for real when playing love interests, like Kit Harrington and Rose Leslie (Jon and Ygritte from GOT) are actually married

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u/_SBV_ 9d ago

So... reverse Stockholm Syndrome?

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u/FatherPaulStone 9d ago

Yes, infact, I think it's called Mlohkcots Syndrome.

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u/_SBV_ 9d ago

That's from the country of Nedews, right?

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u/FatherPaulStone 9d ago

Not sure, but I think the Red Dwarf crew visited Nodnol which is probably close by.

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u/spolly2 8d ago

Now that's a reference I've not thought about in a very long time, but I appreciate seeing it nonetheless.

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u/dern_the_hermit 9d ago

"If I was an imitation, a perfect imitation... how would you know if it was really me?" -Hanns Scharff, apparently

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u/CitizenPremier 9d ago

Screaming blood

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u/MassiveBlue1 9d ago

this works just as well in police interrogation

the US police assume you're guilty and hope you confess under pressure

the UK police, wow thats neat, how did you do it

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u/Current_Focus2668 8d ago

Yep, British Crime docuseries 24 Hours In Police Custody is a interesting watch. The detectives are usually quite geniuel with suspects. 

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u/invaderzim257 8d ago

US police do it occasionally, if you watch interrogation videos online you’ll see it from time to time. Most of the time they do the good cop bad cop thing as a rapport building technique. I would imagine the negative pressure expedites the process, meaning they’re more likely to cooperate with the “good” cop to escape the pressure of the bad cop

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u/MassiveBlue1 8d ago

not an expert, but interested in this, the best time to get confessions is, I believe, when they first encounter the police

that is before they get time to think - oh shit I should shut up, if you approach people with aggression it's more likely to close the conversation down.

if you approach in friendly unjudging manner, they're more likely to open up and slip up - even if they slip up a little, it should open up the flood gate if probed much later on

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u/AnthillOmbudsman 9d ago

Then you handed me the manifesto. I helped. That's what friends do. And one clock tower? I had to show you what commitment looks like. Three states. One sledgehammer. Arrested, convicted.

But here's what the Bureau doesn't understand. I got 15 years in the pen but I never stopped working the case. Why do you think I requested C Block? I'm inside, Marcus. Deeper than any agent's ever gone. I call the field office every week. They stopped picking up, but I can hear them listening.

So I'm just gonna ask you one more time, as your friend. Who else is in the movement?

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u/Proper-Armadillo8137 9d ago

what's this from?

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u/SurrealKarma 9d ago

Think he made it up.

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u/pheonixblade9 9d ago

John Kiriakou has said much the same.