Educing Information: Interrogation - National Intelligence University

with sources who have limited or no training in resistance strategies. With sufficient
validated intelligence supporting him, the interrogator can effectively present
information to source A that was allegedly (and plausibly) provided by source B.
The wedge thus placed, in conjunction with time and careful orchestration, can
be effective in eliciting progressively more information independently from each
source.
The All-Seeing Eye
The interrogator who already knows part of the story explains
to the source that the purpose of the questioning is not to gain
information; the interrogator knows everything already. His
real purpose is to test the sincerity (reliability, honor, etc.) of
the source. The interrogator then asks a few questions to which
he knows the answers. If the subject lies, he is informed firmly
and dispassionately that he has lied. By skilled manipulation of
the known, the questioner can convince a naïve subject that all
his secrets are out and that further resistance would be not only
pointless but dangerous. 82
Similar to the We Know All approach outlined in U.S. Army Field Manual
34-52, the All-Seeing Eye has proven consistently effective with a broad array
of sources. 83 While simple in concept, as with other effective approaches, the
underlying dynamic can be far more complex. In this instance, two fundamental
activities occur to render it effective in obtaining compliance from a resistant
source.
First, Cialdini’s authority principle plays an important part in this approach.
The source, convinced that the interrogator knows as much as (perhaps more than)
he does, sees little to be gained from protecting information of such apparently
little value, especially if he anticipates that the consequences of withholding
such information are undesirable. Second, recalling the premise that two of the
interrogator’s primary objectives are to increase the stress the source internalizes
about the consequences of resistance while simultaneously reducing the
internalized stress over the prospect of cooperating, this approach systematically
targets the latter. By maintaining this approach over time, the interrogator is able
to introduce a new and perhaps unexpected factor in the source’s resistance/
cooperation calculus.
Ivan Is a Dope
It may be useful to point out to a hostile [source] that the cover
story was ill-contrived, that the other service botched the job,
82
KUBARK, 67.
83
The author refers to this approach as “The Exquisite Ruse,” and has used it with great effect in
interrogation operations conducted during Operations JUST CAUSE, DESERT STORM, and IRAQI
FREEDOM.
126