The Interrogator Moment

The interrogator moment is not a new thing but it is something that I notice a lot more now. This is that moment when someone realizes that you are (or were) an ACTUAL Interrogator. The other day I was giving a few Mormon missionaries a ride home from a neighboring town. They had heard that I had been in the army and asked about deployments and then asked what I did. My usual response at this point is to say I was in Military Intelligence (which often leads to that oh so original and funny joke about oxymorons). This usually has a moment of it’s own where people ponder that then ask what I did. Then I pop out the I word and people almost universally stop whatever they are doing or saying and glance out me out of the corner of their eye, or just stare. There are often some mumbles along the lines of “oh, that’s interesting” or “Uh, wow, that must have been….. hard…..” You can see them trying to picture me as an INTERROGATOR, a torturer, someone who callously inflicts pain to get information. I guess I should be upset that people tend to look at me for a moment and then nod and file me away like that. I guess I look mean enough to do it. The missionaries did. Then one of them asked if it had been hard to do. I have had a few people just come out and ask how you decided when to start torturing people. I always explain now that I don’t torture people. That professionals who actually have a clue what they are doing don’t torture people. That torture is, as a general rule, a not terribly effective means of gaining information. I usually let it drop there. I am not at all sure that people actually believe me though. Deep down inside I suspect they are nodding their heads and saying “yeah, sure” and filing me away as someone to keep an eye on.
The Interrogator moment is not a new thing. I experienced it before the war too. But then it was more of a pause then a joke and a nudge with the elbow. And I’ll be honest; we (interrogators) played with that. We would always reply with a rote statement that “the Army officially forbids any violation of the Geneva convention.” And when people would ask “yeah, but…” we would say it gain and everyone would laugh. I don’t do that any more. People don’t laugh very often about it.

And a lot of folks have me pegged in the back of their minds as someone who may be dangerous.

Meanwhile, "Scooter" Libby has been sentenced to 30 months in prison as a result of the whole Plame investigation. Of course Richard Armitage who actually revealed her identity was never even subpoenaed and isn't being punished at all. In congress William Jefferson, caught on video tape accepting bribes and found with $90K of the bribe money hidden in his freezer sits in congress and smiles while people talk about the Republican "Culture of Corruption".
Sigh......