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Security Resoarch Section

Interrogation Techniques of Unfriendly Couatries

During tic woek of January 16 - 22, l949, a British Roman Catholio weokly callod the "Tablat", publishod an article in which thoy cleimed tiat the Hungarien Comnunists planued to use "actedron", a vill-dostroying druß, on Cerdinal Windazenty at the tize of his trial on charges of high trenson. The article in the "Tablet" said that it is comon knowledge thet political prisonsrs of Soviet-occupied countries are given tie drug after being starved and deprived of water. At first, it produces self-confidence, then a reaction which includes a strong headache and vertigo, according to the article.. The latter effects are dasoribed as a sense of uncertninty, e blind urge to obey.tho slightest orders and inability to say no to anything.

In this country, it wes later discovered that "ectedron" is a trade nane for the drug we know as benzedrins (or amphetamine sulfate).

Although no trace of the use of benzodrine for interrogation purposes in the United Statea can be found, it has becn the contention of this office for sone time that the drug has strong possibilities for the extraotion of information during an interrogation. The drug, benzedrine, administered in sufficlently large doaes, acts as a strong stimulant and makes the subject ovor-confidont, undiscriminating and somewhat lacking in inhibitions (providoi the subjoct ia sllowed no physical outlet for his newly acquired energy other than conversation). It is during this period that it is felt that a obteinable. trent deal of information could be elicited which ordinarily would not be

It is further felt thet there is also another strong interrogation possibility in the uae of benzedrine beaide the "benzedrine acceleration" period mentionod above. Following the terminmtion of the stimulation effect of a lerge dose of bonzodrine or a series of amall doses, there is a period of physical exhaustion and mental depression. This is cmused by the edditional demand placed on the body by the drug and by tho absonce of zafficient fuel, in the form of food, to support the body at the nigh peak of activity which is always present πhan one is under the influence of tho drug (benzedrine complotoly nullifies the person's appetite while under its influence). During this state of deprossion, it is felt that the subject, in his deapair, would break down and give out much information which would otherwise be withheld.

The above mentioned poasible uses of the drug explain à food portion of tue. material in the "Tablet's" article. The latter affects, described by the "Tablet" es a blind urge to obey the slightest orders and inability to say no to anything. cennot be explaincd by eny of the physicnl or mental effecta of either the "benzodrine accelerstion" period or the following "meatal depressich" period. For this reason, other techniques must be used in conjunction with the administering of benzedrine to produce the other montioned conditions.

71015/1

Chief, Security Srench

24 February 1949

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Chlef, Seourity Brmoh....

Although it ls felt bhet these lattor effeots could not be produced by benzedrine, it has been the opinion of this office that the "bensedrine depression" phaso' of the drug'could be utilized very readily to produce a state of""aubooncious isolation". or  hypnotio state" in which thsre would be à blind urge, to obey. the alightsst ordsrs:and an inability to say no to anythinga,as mentioned in:the article.

In the.oase of Cardinal Minduzenty's trial, certain admissions of guilt. were conaiatently aade over. à period. of days which would indicate that condition oxisted during which:the Cerdiner wad dontinually under,the inrluen of. some unktnow force, and not for merely  period of a few bours as would be the case with the utilisetion of the "bonsedrine deprossion" phase." The produotion of this "bensedrine depression, phese could be caused to recur period celly but the subjeot would first bave, to be given new dosss or bensadrize a which would produoe acceloration before'the desired depression.  Ir this were the dese, the Gardinals teatinony would be very inoonsiatént bocalse or thes opposite mental, atate which would be present:during the two different psyohos logioal phames. Por this reeson, it is felt that some additionál teohniquer as used on Cerdinal kindssenty in conjunction sith, or indepandent of the, adniniatering of the drug, bensedrine. Everylindication from what information dan be obtained, points to the Padt thet the Cardinal was laboring under a prolongod lafluence or the type which oan be produced only by. teohniques similar to, ,or the.tato asi tha vári methode or subooncious isolation know to this ofrioo. This being the case, Cardinal couldy snd would, make sonsiatent partial admissions es Le did throu out hls trial. Prlor to his apprehenalon, be had made statements to the effe that  conlossion, to any degres, elloited from him would be obtainod through technioal. bethods over whioh,he had no control.

From ths inforaationobtainediin the "Teblet" artiole which says that it is.cocmonknowledge, that politioal prisonerd of Soviet-occupied countriesere given interrogation druge,and fromothdr souroes of infcrmation - inadequate as they are, it is obvious that. Soriot-ocoupied countries aro, to some oxtent, using drugs to extraot information during the interrogatlon of their prisoners From conolusione that can be draam from information available, there is a atrony indioationthut thase countriea mey be further advanced than wo might oare to beliove, in the use of such techniques as the use of benzedrine (for the producing of benzedrine aoceleration-and depresaion), sodium pentothal (the so-oa "truth perum"), soiantifio. duress. (third dogree tochniques) and the uee of various degrees of hypnotic suggastion. Srillfully administered, any of the abovemontioned teohniques. could prove to be adrantageoua. to unfriendly coun tries, and extremely harmful to the effortaof tho other party iavolved. It would appear that each CIA employee exposed to the possible use of thase teohniques, beomuae of overseas aseignmeuta, should be well infored as. to his dogree of susceptibility to the verious procedures and us to how he night recog nisethe attempted use of sach process.

24 Fobruary 1949

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Chief, Seourity Branch

24 February 1949

Fortunately, all porsons are not equally suaceptible to the various intarrogation teohniques mantionod, The use of benzodrine does not suooess- 4 fully cese the dosired reaotion in all persons. Tho uzo of the truth serum issuocessful ia betweun 50% and 75%of all cases,where used (exaot statistiae sre not obtainabis). The use of the liodetector is sucoesaful in approximatel B7% of the bases where used, subooncious isclation (utilisiag induced hypnosis without thé, essistanoe of druga) is sucoesaful in approximatoly 25% of the cse involving ita attampted use. Suboonolous lsolation (utilising induoed hypnosis in conjunction with druge) is, suocessful in 8o% to 90% of all cases involving. ite attsapted tses

It is. possible, through the faoilities of this ofrice, and the utilization of suboonoioua iaolation, to condition many persons in such a manner, that, they are completoly unsuaceptible or only. partially susceptible to a teohniqua to

In conjunotion with the above, it ia suggested that a progran be initirted whioh would serre to inrorm an pplicable employee  to his susceptibility,to the various intorrogation techniques, to inetruot him before his departure conobraing the reoognition or the attempted uses, as.to what counter. moasuros he might take to 'millify the success of such an. attempt, and if desired, condition him sothat he will no longer be susceptible to the various unfriendlyinterroration teahriques to whioh ha pight be exposed, ir.

It is further sucgested that e colloction roquirament be lssued so that this orfioe might be the recipiont of all available infortation cnncerning thy interrogation teohniques under ectual use or research by unfriendly countrie By eoquiring duoh information, this offloe. can at leust keep abrsast to or possibly surpaus these intorzócation techniques.