What's a Poor Terrorist to Do?

[Sunstone]

Imagine a terrorist, a man or woman willing to murder innocent people for a cause,and even themselves die for their cause. Now, imagine this terrorist has planted a nuclear bomb in a major American city that is set to go off in 24 hours.

Further suppose the terrorist has been captured by the FBI and the interrogation has begun. The FBI wants to know where the bomb is in order to defuse it before it destroys them, the interrogation site, and the city. After nearly 24 hours of questioning the terrorist without progress, the FBI in desperation resorts to torture.

What will the terrorist most likely do?

1) Tell the FBI the true location of the bomb in order to end the torture?

2) Lie to the FBI about the true location of bomb, thus both ending the torture and buying time while the agents search the wrong location for the bomb to go off.
​

Note: The scenario and question is based on a TV program that I haven't watched, but which I've been told about. If I've gotten any of the details wrong, the question still stands.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Imagine a terrorist, a man or woman willing to murder innocent people for a cause,and even themselves die for their cause. Now, imagine this terrorist has planted a nuclear bomb in a major American city that is set to go off in 24 hours.

Further suppose the terrorist has been captured by the FBI and the interrogation has begun. The FBI wants to know where the bomb is in order to defuse it before it destroys them, the interrogation site, and the city. After nearly 24 hours of questioning the terrorist without progress, the FBI in desperation resorts to torture.

What will the terrorist most likely do?

1) Tell the FBI the true location of the bomb in order to end the torture?

2) Lie to the FBI about the true location of bomb, thus both ending the torture and buying time while the agents search the wrong location for the bomb to go off.
​

Note: The scenario and question is based on a TV program that I haven't watched, but which I've been told about. If I've gotten any of the details wrong, the question still stands.

I'm gonna hold replying on this until I get home. I have a book (Why Terrorism Works) which covers this exact scenario, and I'm interested to refresh my memory on it.

Incidentally, reading a book titled 'Why Terrorism Works' makes your fellow airflight passengers kinda nervous.

 

[Spiderman]

I want to give the terrorist the benefit of the doubt, but do not find that to be a realistic likelihood...

I know what it's like to have deeply ingrained mental and emotional problems and offensive views.

It's really hard to change things that have been deep-seated and ingrained.

I do not think a lot of terrorists are at fault. They have been brainwashed, indoctrinated, recruited, and have a rule of life that they live by and cherish.

They believe they will die a martyr and go to heaven. Some allegedly look forward to the gardens and virgins in the next life, and are quite anxious to die a martyr's death in this one.

 

[David1967]

If its a religious terrorist that believes that their god is so impotent that he needs humans to be his hit men, then all bets are off the table. But I voted number two.

 

[YmirGF]

A good terrorist will be somewhat desensitized to torture methods. Time is working against the investigators. Personally, I'd put a small group of clinical psychologists who specialize in negotiation techniques to have a go. I'd have my main forces combing the city for potential target locations as due to the time frame involved it is unlikely the location will be willingly revealed.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I'm not at all sure that crafting scenarios is all that useful since counter-scenarios can easily be fabricated by way of response.

 

[Sunstone]

I'm not at all sure that crafting scenarios is all that useful since counter-scenarios can easily be fabricated by way of response.

This started as a response of sorts to another poster who, in a different thread, practically swore that, given the scenario repeated in the OP, the terrorist would tell the truth and the city would be saved. So, other scenarios would be irrelevant to my point here.

 

[Stevicus]

Imagine a terrorist, a man or woman willing to murder innocent people for a cause,and even themselves die for their cause. Now, imagine this terrorist has planted a nuclear bomb in a major American city that is set to go off in 24 hours.

Further suppose the terrorist has been captured by the FBI and the interrogation has begun. The FBI wants to know where the bomb is in order to defuse it before it destroys them, the interrogation site, and the city. After nearly 24 hours of questioning the terrorist without progress, the FBI in desperation resorts to torture.

What will the terrorist most likely do?

1) Tell the FBI the true location of the bomb in order to end the torture?

2) Lie to the FBI about the true location of bomb, thus both ending the torture and buying time while the agents search the wrong location for the bomb to go off.
​

Note: The scenario and question is based on a TV program that I haven't watched, but which I've been told about. If I've gotten any of the details wrong, the question still stands.

I guess it would depend on the terrorist. If we're talking about an experienced, trained operative, then they may be more resistant to torture. They could try to tough it out, challenging the torturer to "do their worst" and see how much they can endure.

I remember in The Guns of Navarone, they mentioned that there was a drug called Scopolamine which the Germans used to get Roy to talk, but by then he was giving them misinformation.

In this scenario here, it's not clear if the terrorist is working alone or if someone else might know the location of the bomb. If he has confederates working with him, and if they know he's been captured, they could conceivably move the bomb before it goes off. So, even if he tells the FBI the truth, that may not be enough.

 

[Spiderman]

I can't help but notice this thread came shortly after my thread titled "what's a boy to do"? Im fond of coincidence!