Interrogation

The exploitation of human intelligence (HUMINT) is essential to winning on the conventional and unconventional battlefield. By questioning prisoners of war and other detainees, interrogation supports this effort through the careful collection of valuable intelligence information. The purpose of any battlefield interrogation is to elicit the maximum amount of reliable information in the least possible amount of time. Because this process involves establishing a dynamic relationship between two (often) adversarial individuals, and because today’s battlefield is increasingly fluid, interrogation or “HUMINT collection” remains both a science and an art. It requires a cadre of professional practitioners who have the necessary experience, ingenuity, and tenacity to successfully— and lawfully—interrogate subjects of intelligence interest. This entry describes the basic procedures and techniques of military interrogations through the ...