Educing Information: Interrogation - National Intelligence University

7
Barriers to Success:
Critical Challenges in Developing a New
Educing Information Paradigm
Steven M. Kleinman, M.S.
February 2006
The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not reflect the
official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.
Abstract
The art of educing information comprises both process and content. Depending
upon the circumstances, the former may unfold as inherently simple
or incredibly complex (e.g., the interrogation of a cooperative, reliable
source or of a source who is resistant and deceptive), while the latter may
be surprisingly easy or agonizingly difficult (e.g., an interrogation that focuses
on the location of a terrorist training camp or one that involves the
deconstruction of a complex international financial network). Given the
broad spectrum of possibilities within just these two variables, the possible
permutations in outcome are essentially infinite. As a result, identifying
the essential barriers to success can be an exceptionally vexing challenge.
Introduction
All intelligence products must be based on data that have
been evaluated for technical error, misperception, and hostile
efforts to deceive. 635
A preliminary examination of the challenges inherent in developing and
managing an effective program for educing information (EI) identifies a daunting
array of barriers to success. However, systematic examination of these barriers to
educing information from uncooperative sources shows that they bear reduction
to three general categories:
1. Linguistic/Cultural Barriers to Success
2. Scientific/Technical/Subject Matter Barriers to Success
3. Interpersonal/Intrapersonal Barriers to Success
635
Captain William S. Brei, USAF, Getting Intelligence Right: The Power of Logical Procedure,
Joint Military Intelligence College Occasional Paper Number Two, Washington, DC, 1996, 9.
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