Analysis of Interrogation Methods as a Means to Gathering Information

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Interrogation is a method commonly used by the Army to acquire information from a suspected individual or groups. The aim of this process is to make the individual to confess or give up information that can lead to recovery of personnel or protect against future dangers. Interrogations can be used in numerous ways to gather information. The U.S. Army has been involved in various Intelligence collection around the world especially since the September 11, 2001 attack, and it has been forced interrogate people for leading information to unravel various security threats. Some of the interrogation methods include deception, torture, suggestibility, and the use of mind-altering drugs. Before any Interrogation technique is used, it should be analyzed through ethical lenses. Interrogation could be viewed as torture but some people would agree that in order to save lives, we must proceed with these types of techniques to gather information. This paper gives an analysis of interrogation methods used and the extent to which these methods can be seen as oppressive.
Since the attacks on September 11 2001, the global out cry about the US Army activities prompted the president Obama to stress the need for the Soldiers undertaking interrogation activities to observe the procedures that were laid down. These procedures have been clearly outlined in the Army Field Manual 2-22.3, Human Intelligence Collector Operations, on interrogation that many of the involved Soldiers have openly defied. The nature of the interrogation activities brings up a debate about the procedure for interrogation because other US government agencies are involved in such activities. The factor that drives the debate about amending the interrogation rules is based o...

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...ess intensive methods like deception, suggestibility, and pride-and- ego down can be used. With very intensive cases and hardcore criminals, the enhanced interrogative techniques should be used. However, information obtained from these coercive techniques should not be used to make the security policies as it may be misleading. The information should be solely used to launch investigations, but should not be taken as the absolute truth. This paper gives an analysis of interrogation methods used and the extent to which these methods can be seen as oppressive.

Reference
Ishmael J. (2010). The Human Factor: Inside the CIA's Dysfunctional Intelligence Culture (2008, 2010), New York: Encounter Books.
Sulzberger, O. (2006) Army releases new interrogation manual. September 6, 2006. Retrieved from http://www.army.mil/article/1/Army_releases_new_interrogation_manual/

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