Al Qaida Interrogation Cookies: All It Took To Soften Abu Jindal

Editor & Publisher:

Fascinating piece coming in tomorrow's TIME magazine. Reporter Bobby Ghosh writes, "The most successful interrogation of an al-Qaeda operative by U.S. officials required no sleep deprivation, no slapping or 'walling' and no waterboarding. All it took to soften up Abu Jandal, who had been closer to Osama bin Laden than any other terrorist ever captured, was a handful of sugar-free cookies."

Read the whole story: Editor & Publisher

Comments

[jerrypl]

They just realized that by feeding them sweet and tasty foods, and drinks might actually soften up their hardened attitudes? INCREDIBLE! It just shows there are too many sado-masochists in America joining the military and acting as officials in government.

http://eye-on-washington.blogspot.com

[BrainDart]

sado-masochists? or Sadists?

[johnr49]

How many posters actually bothered to read the article?

While it might be fun to make all these jokes about cookies, the really relevant paragraph is this one:

Former interrogator/member of the FBI Ali Soufan, who testified to Congress last month, tells TIME: “He was a diabetic ... We had showed him respect, and we had done this nice thing for him .... So he started talking to us instead of giving us lectures.”

As professional interrogators have said, over and over, the best way to get information from someone is to build a rapport with them, NOT torture them!

[azriel]

with all due respect, we don't really know what happen in the torture chamber do we?..only the bits and pieces they tell us. Maybe they used a "soft" reverse torture technique on him. They did medical tests, found out he was diabetic and presto offered him the cookies. However my point is, is that if we know some one has a weakness or a need, in order to function and survive, that-satisfying something; when applied or denied can be used as a form of torture. Considering how long they waved cookies in front of him, maybe they filled the room with the smell of sweets. They probably even displayed images of cookie treats dancing incessantly on a tv screen.

[bandit09]

You are right we don't know what really happened, and neither do you, and neither does dick Cheney. Somehow, Ali Soufan, a highly experienced interrogator, has much more credibility than Sean Hannity and people like you.

[truenortherner]

Wow, the apologists are really clutching at straws now.
Only a mind that is a maze of complexity and obfuscation could possibly have come up with an explanation as contrived as that.
My hat's off to you!

[levelshot]

True Story...my wife knows how much I love Mrs Fields white chocolate macadamia nut cookies and she bought some home one day that were freshly made to find out how much I really paid for a new camera and I caved.

[SoontobeBlueVirginia]

Hello...any self respecting Mother worth her salt could have told them the cookies were the trick & saved the taxpayers a sh*tload of cash.

[dm10003]

i can't get the image of saddam in jail wearing tighties and saying how much he liked doritos. ghhaaahh!

[samilli3]

I wonder what was in those cookies he he he....

[LafnBacstage]

This is another piece of evidence showing the power of food.

How many of us have been swayed or influenced by the kindness of someone offering us a tasty morsal?

Another landmark food finding was the "Twinky Defense" used by Dan White who murdered San Francisco City Supervisor, Harvey Milk.

Things that go better with food:
Parties
Love Making
Meetings
Negotiations
Holidays
and.....

[koyak23]

torture ?

[Tom95134]

SOo the terrorists go for the cookies. The only problem with that is Mrs. Field's has gone into bankruptcy. Our secret weapon against terror gone before we really understood it.

[sbrown80]

Lol! Now tht's funny. Maybe Ms. Fields should get a bailout 4 National Security.

[DiogenesOfAlaska]

absolutely

[KCFreedom]

Now come on. We should bake them fresh in the next room and let him smell them cooking for awhile. It only adds to the reward when you bring them out to him warm & chewy.

[azriel]

speaking of desirable treats--you see, we in the U.S. have a certain problem with a country called North Korea...and I know a certain some one that loves his cognac, and authentic Italian pizza. Mr. President are you listening...can you make some phone calls already?

[samilli3]

lol....food is great.....

[KCFreedom]

He loves American movies, too.

[SolarPowerGuy]

OMG, can't you just see the Wayans Brothers movie already? Obama and Kim Jong Il, kicking back with some Courvoisier?

[olmossy]

Well having lost several battles of the Bulge, I can tell you from experiance .Setting down a plate of Fresh Baked Cookies nearby , IS TORTURE !

[LJB1977]

Well, if the cookies are "sugar-free" - that would be torture. And can't you just hear someone saying that HuffPo is "misleading" in their story by showing beautiful, soft, fresh, chocolate chip cookies? I imagine the dude confessed over the "boxed variety".

[judiNJ]

Dick Cheney was not looking for intel on upcoming attacks, he was trying to get them to lie about the connection between Iraq and Osama bin Laden, which I knew was a crock when I heard it.

[huffyfan2]

Just give them sugar-laden cookies and withhold ( the milk ) or anything to drink.

[LittlePurpleUSA]

This is too funny and sad.

[klondiker]

Further confirms my belief that there is no problem in the world that a warm chocolate-chip cookie and a glass of milk can't solve!

Thanks for the funny comments everyone!

[TJCole]

I've known this story for over a year now, he was interviewed on TV on Bill Moyers, I think it was, but once again our worthless media ignored this important interview...and story...

[huffyfan2]

It's actually offered in First Class (on a long flight) It's all my parents used to talk about ( the chocolate chip cookies the air-line would make you ) right from the oven. YUM

[KCFreedom]

Why do you think they put Bill Moyers show on Friday at 9:00 PM? Only ones "in the know" will watch.
Most people arn't even watching TV shows then.

His show only got rerun on Sunday mornings in the political show slot very recently.

When the Bu$h shill was in charge of PBS, they would often pre-empt his show and actually show it only at like 3 AM on Saturday morning! And when the local PBS station would do pledge drives, they would always pre-empt his show, as it would be deemed "too liberal" to raise money during that time slot. Don't want to piss off people by "liberalism".