U.S. Hones Intelligence Skills

The Washington Times ^ | April 28, 2008 | Sara A. Carter

[kellynla]

FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. — One of the most experienced interrogators in the Defense Department looked straight into Ahmed's eyes and asked him for the third time: "Ahmed, what insurgent organization do you belong to?"

Sitting in the room with no windows, Ahmed refused to answer the interrogator's questions. He was stoic — similar to many al Qaeda insurgents the interrogator had questioned at the detention center at the U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

But, this time, things were different.

Ahmed, who uses an alias, was practicing as an advanced interrogation student at Fort Huachuca, the nation's largest intelligence-training facility and the home of the Defense Department's war on terror.

SPECIAL REPORT:

Just 13 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, the heavily guarded Army fort, once the home of the Buffalo Soldiers, is noted today for training some of the U.S. military's most-talented intelligence operatives and interrogation personnel.

Many buildings at the fort have no windows to protect the classified information and the training that takes place inside. Their central focus is combating the country's latest threat: terrorism.

"The threat changed. We went from communism to terrorism," said Steve Norton, chief of the Defense Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Management Office within the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). "So we're not looking at nation states; we're not looking at armies; we're not looking at equipment — submarines and ships. We're dealing with a very diabolical enemy, but within the human dimension kind of threat."

Mr. Norton and John Antonitis, an intelligence professional and a staff member of the now-defunct Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction, said preparing military personnel to go "outside the wire" is essential to winning the war on terror.

[kellynla]

And if John McCain has his way, Gitmo will be closed down and the incarcerated there would be moved to Leavenworth. McCain is also against "waterboarding" which I think is ridiculous. "Waterboarding" allows for interrogators to obtain in minutes information that could save lives what it might take days, weeks, months, years or never to obtain otherwise.

[BOBTHENAILER]

great post

[MarkT]

The scenario is appaling - if old Ali had been silent for a few hours (to hell with a year), do what it takes to break him very qickly. Waterboard him or whatever, but do find out his family and their location.

Tell Ali that unless the info he gives is good, very good, you will send food and money to his wife, kids, parents, etc with the thanks of a grateful U.S. and its effort to fight terrorism. He should be more afraid of his fellow participants in the Religion of Peace and what they will do to his family, that what the U.S will do to him.

[Vaduz]

Hammer on fingers will get answers.

[DuncanWaring]

Ping.

[SandRat]

Saw that. That’s my military installation that I’ll be heading to work on in an hour.

[DuncanWaring]

I knew that was your neighborhood - didn’t realize you actually worked there.

[SandRat]

HiJinx too.

[TexasRepublic]

"The threat changed. We went from communism to terrorism,"

I've got bad news for you -- Communism is so pervasive in the United States now that it should be obvious that their stated goals in 1963 have been met.

[kellynla]

“Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink.”
P.J.O’Rourke