After the 9/11 attacks, an extensive counter-intelligence program was devised by the Bush Administration and the Department of Justice to be executed 

After the 9/11 attacks, an extensive counter-intelligence program was devised by the Bush Administration and the Department of Justice to be executed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It was referred to as “Enhanced Interrogation Techniques.” Debates arose over whether "enhanced interrogation" violated U.S. anti-torture statutes or international laws such as the UN Convention against torture. Detainees were subjected to these methods but  in 2009, President Obama sought to ban them as they were constituted as torture. Here are five interrogation techniques that were used by the CIA. 1. Threats  Threats aren’t new, but the CIA uses them in a variety of ways, whether it be taking the detainee’s life, the life of their colleagues and more. They even go as far as holding mock executions to make the latter more credible. This can include guards firing guns, fake screaming and dressing like the detainee’s loved ones to prove a point. It’s safe to say it can be very effective when used the right way. 2. Sleep Deprivation Adequate sleep supports alertness, performance and health. As such, the technique of sleep deprivation was used by the CIA to get detainees to cooperate by causing them to focus so much on the discomfort that they weren’t able to think clearly and consider their ideologies. The prisoners were kept awake constantly for seven days or were subjected to intermittent sleep deprivation for up to three months. There was overlapping of the techniques and often, the prisoners were subjected to loud music, bright flashing lights and placed in a stress position. 3. Stressed Positions Stress positions were frequently employed in conjunction with sleep deprivation and were intended to be painful and uncomfortable for long periods of time. Detainees were often kept upright, shackled with their arms over their heads, or kneeling on the floor while leaning back at a forty-five degree.  Some were confined in small spaces like coffin-sized boxes. They experienced excruciating physical pain from muscle contractions and desensitization from being alone in the dark. To add to the psychological torture, insects were poured into the box; however, the prisoner wouldn’t know that they were harmless. 4. Walling Walling was a tactic used to intimidate detainees rather than inflict pain. The individual was pushed firmly into a fake flexible wall so that the shoulder blades made contact and the head was supported by a rolled towel or hood. The fake wall was used to avoid injury, although there were no guidelines regarding the amount of force that had to be used or the number of times this could be repeated. This was totally left up to the discretion of the interrogator. There were reports of concrete walls being used. The detainees sustained head injuries and there were signs of abuse about their bodies. 5. Loud Music Loud music was used by the CIA as a no-torture device to “break” prisoners. Detainees were kept in complete darkness with shackles and the same song or album was played on repeat at about seventy-nine decibels. Compared to the other techniques you’ve read, loud music may seem quite mild but don’t be fooled. According to psychologists, playing the same music for twenty-four hours continuously, the brain and physical function begin to deteriorate and the train of thought slows down. This is the perfect time to entire the room and question the prisoner. At this point, all prisoners want is for the music to stop and to feel normal again.   &nbsp;

Interrogation Techniques Used by the CIA

Recent Posts

Categories

Get TriviaWire in your inbox.