Cruel & Unusual
Enter: size up audience.
Welcome. I'm confident that by the time you finish this course you will have all the tools you need "to turn" around anybody in your control.
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“Questioning” is a process involving the interaction of two personalities—that of the questioner and that of the subject. There is nothing mysterious about “questioning”. It is no more than obtaining needed information from subjects: enemy combatants, prisoners of war, illegal immigrants, political refugees.
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Successful “ questioning” is based on the knowledge and use of psychological techniques that are not difficult to understand.
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Today, we will be discussing coercive techniques.
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We deplore the use of coercive techniques. But, We want to make you aware of the proper way to use them so that you may avoid them.
The purpose of all coercive techniques is to induce psychological regression in the subject. Regression is basically a loss of autonomy, a reversion to an earlier behavioral level.
SINGS (Book of Love): Well I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who, who wrote the book of love.
There are three major principles involved in successful application of coercive techniques: Debility, dependency and dread.
Debility: refers to methods of inducing physical weakness: prolonged constraint; prolonged exertion; extremes of heat; cold, or moisture; and deprivation of food or sleep.
Dependency. The disruption of all patterns will create dependency. The subject becomes hopelessly dependent upon you, the "questioner" for satisfying all their basic needs.
This is an opportunity to gain the information you seek.
Dread: Sustained long enough, a strong fear of anything vague or unknown induces regression.
If the debility-dependency-dread state is unduly prolonged, the subject may sink into an irreversible defensive apathy.
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A soldier is taking a course on tack. His instructor says: "Ok soldier, we're getting to the end of the course. Now, I want you to go out on the parade ground, call Company A to attention and tell private Johnson that his grandmother is dead. And soldier; show me what you've learned. Be tactful.
So the soldier goes out. He calls: "Company A Attention!" The soldiers line up. "Private Johnson, step forward. Johnson, your grandmother is dead."
The instructor is apoplectic. "What the hell's the matter with you? Haven't you learned anything? I'm giving you one more chance, soldier, you go out and call Company B to attention. When you've done that, you tell private Swanson that his grandmother is dead. And for god's sake, be tactful!"
He goes out. "Company B Attention." He bellows: "Company B, all those with living grandmothers step forward." [He slowly extends his arm in a stop gesture]. "E-e-e-a-a-s-s-y t-h-e--r-e Swanson."
We're excavating the psyche, to induce regression to obtain needed information. And we can drive the subject deeper and deeper into himself, until he's no longer able to control his responses in an adult fashion.
As soon as possible, the 'questioner ' should provide the subject with the rationalization that he needs for giving in and cooperating.
This rationalization can be as simple as an adult version of a childhood excuse such as:
"They made you do it."
TONY: "All the other boys are doing it."
TONY: "You're really a good boy at heart."
(takes 5 steps back)
MAN VOICE: I --not John- me--, but an "I figure"-a boy 10, 11, 12.
I was on top of a hill. Waiting. My father - handsome, early 40's dark wavy hair, an officer, was below, in the house, folded in the hillside, not visible from where I stood.
We were waiting for the military interrogation team. I had heard the worst
KID VOICE: I'm standing on the hilltop: hills, houses, houses ( city), hills waiting. I've heard bad, bad, things.
4 men emerge from a fold in the hills, dressed in black. They easily take in the view. Talking, stretching, laughing a little.
KID VOICE: (drops to one knee) I watch from 100 yards off. 2 of the men turn toward me as they walk to another fold in the hill-- the one that descends to my house, my father. I stare: defiant. They see me, but they pretend like they don't.
MAN VOICE: The other two -- stand at the edge and look out across the hills. They get more animated, talking loudly, excitedly, laughing, gesturing.
Men: T U F F F , tough baby it's tough
And it's SAFE. Gotta be safe. Safe at home ( baseball). Safe at home (cradles self with arms)
It's lawful. If we do it, it's lawful.
And NECESSARY. Damn straight I'm not gonna stand here all day in the hot sun, while their down there having all the fun .
Let's go, baby, let's go.
OK.
Suddenly they leap forward in to the air. They execute 5, 10 spectacular 360Degree summersaults, martial arts moves while airborne. Spinning, kicking, head over heals, backwards. In the blur flashes of silver: guns, knives?
MAN VOICE: I watch, they kick all wind and hope right out of me.
Finally, they come back to earth, land in the hillside, laughing lustily. They brush themselves off, get up and with more laughter, recount their experience.
KID VOICE: I watch (back down to knees) They kick all wind and hope right out of me.
After all four of the men have gone, I wait a long time, a very long time
to go see my father. I wait, not minutes or hours-- but all day.
MAN VOICE: (bewildered) that's not right. I wait too long. Not right. Not right.
When I see him, I'm shocked. He looks just as before: handsome, dressed in his navy whites, epaulets, black tie, his black wavy hair shiny, combed. COMBED! that's not right. (bewildered)
KID VOICE: 'Oh Father," "I'm so glad you're alright. I thought they were going to hurt you."
FATHER: "Oh, you know, I was clever. I knew how to deal with them. I talked around their questions, offered hardly anything.'
MAN VOICE: I looked at him intently, exuding love, relief, doubt.
KID VOICE: (hesitant) So they didn't hurt you?"
FATHER: (said while tape is in first loop of father suffering) I gave them 13 names, none of consequence. You know goofy names. The kind we use when we play together. Names like Joe blow. Remember joe Blow? And Joe Bfufnik, remember who goes around --no matter where he goes a big black cloud follows him around and is always over his head. And Harvey Schmidlap. Harvey Schmidlap---and his beautiful wife Tammy . tammy Schmidlap with the hair going straight up over her head in a bee hive.
They didn't hurt me. Don't you worry about your dad. They didn't hurt me.
I ." He smiled wanly. And then the smile cracked. He cracked, a broken teapot, too many pieces.
His face fell, his shoulders slumped, his eyes became vague, descended to the floor.
He shivered and twitched. He shook his head "No.", an empty, nervous, unconvincing "No".
" They didn't hurt me." He cried, shivered and cried.
FATHER: (2nd loop ino talk, movements coordinated with images and music --2nd loop)
FATHER: (3rd loop --- father ends standing til end of music -→ after his ordeal. Just stands feels, recuperates, witnesses the ordeal).
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Bush speech ( center of gravity up, holding self up with shoulders. Tension in shoulders -→ but trying to be relaxed "in front of shoulders" ie, presenting relaxed face).
September 6, 2006 President Discusses Creation of Military Commissions page 6
It's important for Americans and others across the world to understand the kind of people held at Guantanamo. Those held at Guantanamo belong at Guantanamo.
In addition to the terrorists held at Guantanamo, a small number of suspected terrorist leaders have been held and questioned outside the United States, in a separate program operated by the Central Intelligence Agency.
Many specifics of this program, including where these detainees have been held, cannot be divulged. It deserves the support of the United States Congress and the American people.
Within months of September the 11th, 2001, we captured a man known as Abu Zubaydah. Zubaydah declared his hatred of America. And so the CIA used an alternative set of procedures.
These procedures were designed to be safe, to comply with our laws, and our treaty obligations. I cannot describe the specific methods used -- I think you understand why. But I can say the procedures were tough, they were safe, and lawful, and necessary.
Zubaydah was questioned using these procedures, and soon he began to provide information on key al Qaeda operatives. By giving us information about terrorist plans, this program has saved innocent lives.
I want to be absolutely clear with our people, and the world: The United States does not torture. It's against our laws, and it's against our values. I have not authorized it -- and I will not
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Authorize it.
Exit.