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Chief, Security Brach

Security Resoarch Seotion

Interrogation Techniques of Unfriendly Countrios

During tho veck of January 16 - 22, 1919, a British Ranen Catnolic weekly callod tho "Tablot", publishod an articlo ia which thoy.claimed that the Hungarian Cosmunists plamied to use "nctedron", a will-dustroying drug, on Cardinal Mindszenty at the time of his trial on chnrges of high treason. The article in the "Teblet" snid that it is comaon knowledge that political prisoners of Soviet-occupied countries are given the drug ftor being starved and deprived of water. At first, it produces solf-confidonce, then a reaction whioh includes a atrong, headache and vertigo, according to the article. Te lattar elfects are describad as a sensc of uncertainty, a blind urge to obey tho slightost orders and inability to say no to arysthing.

In this oountry, it was later discovered that "nctedron" is n trnde nane for the drug wo know as bonzeurine (or enphetaaine mulfate).

Altnough no trace of the use of benzodrine for iuterrogatlon purposes in the United Statea can be found, it has beon the contention of this office for some time that the drug has strong possibilities for the extraction of information during an interrogation. The drug, benzedrine, administored in sufficiontly large dosos, scts as n atrong stirulant and makos the subjoct ovor-confident, undisoriminating and somewhnt lacking in inhibitions (providod the subjoct is allowod no physical outlet for his nowly acquired energy other thnn converoution). It is during this period that it is folt that gront deal of inlormation could bo olioited which ordinarily would zot be obtainable.

It is further felt that there is also nnothor strong interrogation possibility in the uso of benzedrine beside the "benzodrino acceleration" poriod mentionod above. Following the teraination of tho stimulation sffect of a lercc doso of benzedrine or n series of small doses, there is a period of physical exhaustion nud montal depression. This is caused by the additionnl denand placed ou the body by tho drug and by tho absonce of sufficiont fuel, in the form of food, to support the body at the high peek of activity which is alwoys presont when one is undor the influence of thc irug (benzodrine completoly nullifiss the person's appstite whilo undor its influonco). During this state of depreasion, it is folt that the subject, in his dospair, would brenk down and give out much information which would otierwisc bo withheld.

The aboze mentioned possible uacs of tho drug explain a cood portion of the :natorial in the "Tablet's" erticle. The latter effocto, described by tho "Tablet" as a blind urge to obey the slightest orders and inability to ony no to anythine, oannot be explainod by nny of the physicnl or mental effects of either the "benzodrine ecceleration" period or the following "mental depression period. For this reason, other techniquos muet be used in conjunction with the administering of benzedrine to produce the other mentioned conditions.

A/BI15=2

24 February 1919

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Although it is felt thnt those lattor effects could not be produced by benzedrine, it has been the opinioa of this office that the "bonzedrine depression" phaso of the drug could be utilized very readily to produce a state of "subconoious isolation" or "hypnotio state" in which thore would ba a blind urge to obey the slightest orders and an inability to sny no to anything, as mentioned in tno article.

In tho case of Cardlinal Kindszonty's triel, certain alissions of cuilt were consistently mado over a period of deys which would indicate thnt a condition existed during which tha Cerdinal as continually unler the influence nf some unknown force, and not for merely s period of n fer. hours as vould te the case with the utilization of the "bonzedrine deprasslon" phase. The produotion of Lhis "benzodrine depresaion" phase could be caused to recur periodically but the subject would first have to. be given new doses of benzedrine which would produce acceleration before the desired depression. If this ware the case, the Cardinal's tastinony would be very inconsistent becnuso of the opposite mental state ahich would be prosent during the two dlfferent psycholocical phasos. For this renson, it la folt that some additional technique nas usod on Cardinal Kindszenty in conjunotion with, or independent of, tho adninistering of the drug, benzedrine.

Every indication, from what information can be obtainod, points to tho fact that the Cardinal was laboring under e prolonged influence of the type which can be produced only by techniques similar to, or tho samo as, the various methods of subconcious isoletion knom to this office. This being tie caso, the Cardinal could, and would, make consistent partial edaissiona as le did throughout his trial. Prior to his epprehension, he hed ande statoments to the effect thot a confossion, to eny degree, elicitod fron him would be obtnined through technicel mothods over whioh he had no control.

From the information obtained in the "Tmblat" erticle which says that it is oomon knowledge that politicel prisoners of Soviot-occupied countrios are given interrogation drugs, end fron other sources of information - inadequate as thoy are, it is obvious that Soviat-occupied countrios are, to some oxtont, using drugs to extraot information during the interrogntion of thoir prisonors. Frou conclusions that can be drana froa infommation availeblo, thero is a strong inlication thst these countries may be further edvanced than we mirht care to boliove in the uae of such teohniques as the use of bonzedrine (for the producing of benzedrino acceleration and depression), sodium pontothal (the so-cnlled "truti sorun"), sciontific duress (third dezrce tcchniques) and tho use of vnrious degroes of hypnotic su goation. Skillfully administerod, ay of the nbove montionod tochniques could prove to be advntagoous to unfriondly countrios, and extronely hnrmful to the efforts of tnc ot.or party involved. It would apponr that anch CIf employoe exposed to tho pornible use of those teohniquos, booruse of oversons essignnonts, should bo woll inforned es to his degreo of susceptibility to tie various proceduros and as to how ho might rocognize the nttempted use of each procoss.

Chief, Seourity Brmnch

22

24 Februnry 1949

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Fortunatoly, all persons aro not oquelly susceptible to the vrrious intorroratlon teohniques nontioned. The use of bonzcdrine does not successfully ceuse the dosired roaotion in all persons. Tho uso of to truth serum is succassful in between 50. and 75% of all cases whore used (exaot statistios are not obtainablo). The use of the lie detector is succesaful in pproximatoly 87 of the oases where uasd, subconcious isolation (utilizing induced hypnosis without the assistance of drugs) is succesaful in approximately 25 of the cses involving its ettenptod use. Subconcious isolation (utilizing induced hypnosis in conjunction with drugs) is successful in 80 to 90. of ell caass involving its attenpted use.

It is possible, through the fecilities of this office, sod the utilizntlon of subconcious isolation, to comdition meny persons in such a manner thmt they are completoly unsuaceptible or onlypartially susceptible to a tachnique to which they wero previously vulnerable.

In conjunction with the nbovo, it is sugrestod thet a prozrem be initisted which would serve to iuform ai eppliceble smployeo os to his susceptibility to the verious interrogation techniques, to instruct him bofore his departure concernin tho recocnitior ur ihe attempted uaes, ns to what counter moasures ho might take to nullify the success of such an attoupt, end if desired, condition him so thet he will no longer be susceptible to the various unfriendly interro-Gation techniques to which he might be expoaed.

It is further supgested that a collection roquirement be issued so thet this offico might be the recipient of all avnilable informntion conccrning the interrocation techniques under ectual use or resoarch by unfriendly countrics. Py ecquirin such infornetion, this offics can st least keop abrenst to or possibly surpnss those intorrogation techniques.

電

Chief, Security Branch

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24 February 1949