NBI agents learn how FBI broke down Saddam Hussein

MANILA, Philippines - Officials from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) recently attended an international conference in Australia, the highlight of which was a talk by an expert from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who interrogated ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

NBI deputy director Reynaldo Esmeralda said he, together with NBI director Nestor Mantaring and five other officials, as well as 12 police officers, attended the 12th FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA) Asia Pacific Chapter Conference from Aug. 9 to 13 in Gold Coast, Australia.

Esmeralda said FBI agent George Piro, who heads the counter-terrorist unit of the FBI district office in Washington DC, talked about the techniques he used to convince Hussein to divulge his secrets, including the crimes the Iraqi leader committed and the places where alleged weapons of mass destruction were hidden.

Esmeralda said Piro interrogated Hussein for nine hours each day for seven months, using psychological tactics to ensure that there would be “no physical torture committed.”

Esmeralda said Hussein was allowed to talk or make requests only through Piro, who also used the ousted leader’s mother and videos of his statue being demolished by the Iraqis to make him break down.

Esmeralda said they would be able to use these techniques in interrogating leaders of the Abu Sayyaf Group or other terrorist groups.

Hussein was also brought to different locations, and was not interrogated in just one location, according to Esmeralda.             – Sandy Araneta