Ex-army member Eric Maddox denounces torture
University of Oklahoma panel focuses on interrogation
BY JAMES S. TYREE
Comments 
7
Published: February 27, 2009
Eric Maddox
NORMAN — Former Army interrogator Eric Maddox said he didn’t need torture to get information that led to the capture of Saddam Hussein, and it isn’t needed now.
The former Army staff sergeant from
Enid was instrumental in capturing Hussein on Dec. 13, 2003. Now a civilian interrogator with the
U.S. Defense Department, Maddox said he quickly built a rapport with prisoners to gather the information
U.S. forces needed in
Iraq.
"Torture has occurred; we’ve seen the videotape and we need to realize the negative effect it has,” said Maddox, an OU grad and
Tulsa resident. "I want to build an argument to say we don’t need it to get intelligence.”
Maddox said the Army never taught him to torture prisoners and that the
U.S. military and government don’t condone it.
He spoke about those experiences Thursday at the
University of Oklahoma’s
Gaylord Hall during the panel discussion "Intelligence and Torture.”
In explaining how some interrogators have resorted to torture, Maddox said it can start with something relatively small, like keeping detainees on their knees for an extended time, and over time it snowballs.
But Maddox found that understanding the social networks within insurgencies — and offering to use that knowledge for the prisoner’s benefit — was and continues to be far more effective in getting reliable intelligence.
"We were asking a person to expose their family and friends in order to help them,” Maddox said. "We needed to get the prisoner’s mindset that I need this interrogator to stick around, because that will help my family and friends get out of this situation.”
The panel discussion included OU faculty members
John Fishel,
Christopher Howard and
David Edger, all with years of military and/or intelligence-gathering experience.
"Sometimes, being on the moral high ground helps you,” said Edger, a retired
CIA operative. "But even when it doesn’t, it’s where you want to be.”
Leave a Comment
News Photo Galleriesview all
Prev
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Log in below or sign up (it's free).
Were you at the presentation yesterday? Did you hear what the panelists said? They were not pointing fingers or laying sole blame for problems on 1 or 2 people. They were proud of their country, proud to call themselves Americans. Some panelists even quoted Former Sectretary Rumsfeld. We should be wary of accusations and judgements as we are not top government officials with classified information before us. Was this country not founded on the belief that persecution and judgement are wrongful?