• Enhanced Interrogation

  • Inside the Minds and Motives of the Islamic Terrorists Trying to Destroy America
  • By: James E. Mitchell Ph.D.
  • Narrated by: Ryan Rennot
  • Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (777 ratings)

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Enhanced Interrogation  By  cover art

Enhanced Interrogation

By: James E. Mitchell Ph.D.
Narrated by: Ryan Rennot
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Publisher's summary

In the dark days immediately after 9/11, the CIA turned to Dr. James Mitchell to help craft an interrogation program designed to elicit intelligence from just-captured top al-Qa'ida leaders and terror suspects. A civilian contractor who had spent years training US military members to resist interrogation should they be captured, Mitchell, aware of the urgent need to prevent impending catastrophic attacks, worked with the CIA to implement "enhanced interrogation techniques" - which included waterboarding.

In Enhanced Interrogation, Mitchell now offers a first-person account of the EIT program, providing a contribution to our historical understanding of one of the most controversial elements of America's ongoing war on terror. Listeners will follow him inside the secretive "black sites" and cells of terrorists and terror suspects where he personally applied enhanced interrogation techniques. Mitchell personally questioned 13 of the most senior high-value detainees in US custody - including Abu Zubaydah; Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the amir or "commander" of the USS Cole bombing; and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001, terror attacks - obtaining information that he maintains remains essential to winning the war against al-Qa'ida and informing our strategy to defeat ISIS and all of radical Islam.

From the interrogation program's earliest moments to its darkest hours, Mitchell also lifts the curtain on its immediate effects, the controversy surrounding its methods, and its downfall. He shares his view that EIT, when applied correctly, was useful in drawing detainees to cooperate and that when applied incorrectly it was counterproductive. He also chronicles what it is like to undertake a several-years-long critical mission at the request of the government only to be hounded for nearly a decade afterward by congressional investigations and Justice Department prosecutors.

Gripping in its detail and deeply illuminating, Enhanced Interrogation argues that it is necessary for America to take strong measures to defend itself from its enemies and that the country is less safe now without them than it was before 9/11.

©2016 James E. Mitchell Ph.D (P)2016 Random House Audio
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about Enhanced Interrogation

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Part curtain pull, part self defense

I most enjoyed the sections of the details of interrogations, the how's and whys, the explanation of the effectiveness of certain procedures. Part of the book, mostly the last third, was a self defense of what he did during a very unique period of American history. I guess he felt like he had to write it but, personally, I didn't need to hear a justification of EIT of murderous monsters. Some secrets are best kept secret.

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9 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Informative, and easy to listen to.

The narrator is very easy to listen to and follow. The story is, in my opinion, a must read (listen). Not only in the "community" but also for the regular folks to understand what threaths are we facing, and some of what is being done by those seeking to protect our American way of life. Kudos to the author for your efforts, and professional demeanor.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Half interrogation book, half self defense

Discussion on the interrogations and the personalities of the terrorists is engaging and very interesting. Unfortunately, this only last for a portion of the book. A large majority was a self defense of Dr Mitchell and his counterparts. I see no need for Dr Mitchell or the CIA to defend themselves, they were left with a very difficult task.
The book title should include this fact and not mislead readers to thinking it is strictly about interrogation and the terrorists.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Enhanced Interrogation?

More like enhanced apology for his part in creating interrogation methods....as for getting inside the minds and motives of the Islamic terrorists interrogated (my main purpose for purchasing this book) - suffice to say I'm more than half way through and haven't learned anything that was new to me and I'm hardly learned on the subject. A waste of time and money...

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Eye opening!

Eye opening but not as much about Al Qaeda as about our self serving back stabbing hypocrites in our government. It is sad really.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Unabashedly self-serving

I'm not really interested in whether or not the author actually invented or simply repackaged EITs for CIA-consumption. What bothers me is that he's got a monkey on his shoulder and is constantly trying to show how much he cared about the prisoners, how much CIA brass either blocked or ignored his protests when things eventually got rough, and how he aimed for the high road all the time whereas problems, errors, and/or character flaws were abundant in all those surrounding him and the interrogation program.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Very eye opening. Highly recommend this.

Sheds new light from an insider perspective on what actually happened. Reveals motivations and what the press and some politicians don't want you to know.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great eye opener

Hope our leaders now hire this guy back and remove the handcuffs of our military before it's to late

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4 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Not what I expected

This book was not what I expected. Mr. Mitchell took on the role of victim and tattle tale, justifying his position by claiming he was trying to protect the CIA interrogators and the jihadists. I would not recommend this book unless you are a pacifist liberal who plays into the typical victimization that is so prevalent in our society today.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing!

A book everyone need to read if for nothing else, to understand the threat we face

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3 people found this helpful