Overview
The KUBARK Handbook (CIA document 61-112) concludes with a comprehensive checklist of 50 questions for interrogators and their superiors, covering legal compliance, psychological assessment, operational planning, and post-interrogation procedures.
Key Evaluation Areas
Legal Compliance (Questions 1-6)
Interrogators must verify local federal or other laws affecting KUBARK's conduct of unilateral or joint interrogations. Questions include detention limits, coordination with ODYOKE departments and agencies, adherence to Chief/KUBARK Directives, PBPRIME citizen status considerations, and whether selected interrogators meet four criteria: adequate training/experience, genuine language familiarity, knowledge of geographical/cultural area, and psychological comprehension.Subject Assessment (Questions 7-16)
The checklist requires screening the prospective interrogatee to identify major psychological characteristics and categorize them into nine major categories. All available pertinent information must be assembled and studied. Questions address whether the source will be questioned at a base/station or sent to a center, technical analysis of documents carried by the subject, logical overt sources checks, field and headquarters traces on associates, preliminary bona fides assessment, prior association admissions, LCFLUTTER administration timing, cooperation likelihood estimation, and anticipated resistance sources (fear, patriotism, personal considerations, political convictions, stubbornness).Interrogation Execution (Questions 17-32)
The checklist covers opening phase observations — whether interrogation reports are prepared after each session from notes or tapes. Questions address emotional reactions of the subject to the interrogator, rapport establishment, reconnaissance completion with key resistance areas identified, and tactical/pressure requirements for overcoming resistance.Coercive Techniques Authorization (Questions 38-40)
If coercive techniques are to be employed, all field personnel in the direct chain of command must be notified and approval obtained. Headquarters permission is required before proceeding.Confinement Considerations (Questions 41-45)
For confinement scenarios, KUBARK must control the environment fully and disrupt normal routines for interrogation purposes. Questions address whether solitary confinement will be used, if the place permits practical elimination of sensory stimuli, threat matching to interrogatee personality, hypnosis/drug necessity with adequate advance notice for travel time and preliminaries, and malingering suspicion requiring expert services.Post-Interrogation Procedures (Questions 46-50)
The checklist requires comprehensive summary report preparation after interrogation ends. Questions address whether the interrogatee will be returned to hostile service or left free to operate unhindered if suspected of being a hostile agent without confession, unfulfilled promises assessment, vengefulness evaluation with potential strike-back methods, and overall success/failure analysis.Related Concepts
- coercive-interrogation-techniques — Detailed guidance on coercive interrogation techniques for resistant sources
- interrogation-rationales-and-conversion — Various psychological rationales used to induce compliance from resistant sources