Re: Military Interrogation [OT]

In a message dated 10/14/1998 6:10:37 PM Central Daylight Time,
Thomas.Barclay@sofkin.ca writes:

> I was just speaking to a friend undergoing some Interrogator 
>  Training, and he was describing to me the current State of The Art 
>  (well unclassified) in Mil Interrogation. They call it 'the suit'. 
>  
>  Apparently, it is a big really thickly padded suit. The helm has 
>  bright white light and white noise broadcast inside it. When wearing 
>  it, you can't feel anything (nearly). No part of your flesh is able 
>  to touch or feel any other part. When moved by your captors, you 
>  can't really feel it, you just feel a force moving you rather than a 
>  defined push or grab. Apparently, you can't sleep, can't hear 
>  anything but white noise, can't see anything but white light. I think

>  the longest he said that any of the students or real prisoners his 
>  instructor had used this on in Desert Storm managed was 18 hours 
>  before spilling his guts. No drugs. No Physical Torture. No real 
>  privation (they even put a straw in from a camelpack so you can 
>  drink). Just an awful, mind numbing sound and a light that cannot be 
>  ignored. You can't even whack yourself in the head to feel something.

>  
>  I think any proper future MI unit will have enhanced versions of this

>  with Grav Dampers so you can't even feel gravity and maybe even some 
>  type of broadcaster that broadcasts mental static too. Enough to make

>  you spill your guts even faster than the average 8 hours this 
>  contraption takes. 
>  
>  Something to think about.....
>  /************************************************
>  Thomas Barclay		
>  Voice: (613) 831-2018 x 4009
>  Fax: (613) 831-8255
>  

I'd say having light shine in you face 24 hours a day and being deprived
of
sleep counts as physical torture.  BTW, Interrogator was one of my MOSs
in the
US Army.  I went through the school in 91-92, then served for a couple
of
years in an interrogation company and I never heard of anything like
that.
Interrogator veterans of Desert Storm in my unit apparently knew nothing
about
it either and we certainly did not have such suits in our supply room. 
They
said it was enough just to ask the question and in 99% of the cases they
would
get truthful answers.  Shock of capture followed by meeting someone who
offers
you a cigarette and some warm coffee is apparently enough to loosen
almost
anybody's tongue, even "captured" US Army Rangers we interrogated during
an
exercise.   

Still, it's an interesting concept, if you get past the fact that it
probably
violates international conventions on the use of torture.  

Mike Jasinski