FPTV: How to Break a Terrorist

How do you make a terrorist talk? Veteran FBI interrogator Jack Cloonan has broken some of al Qaedas toughest operatives. In this special interview with FP, he shares some of his methods for making a terrorist tell all.

In the first video below, Cloonan explains that theres more than one way to make a terrorist cry:

In the first video below, Cloonan explains that theres more than one way to make a terrorist cry:

But what about the worst of the worst? And what about a ticking time bomb? If a terrorist has information that could save innocent lives, isnt it time to take the gloves off?

Watch Cloonans response:

Jack Cloonan spent 25 years as an FBI special agent and interrogated members of al Qaeda during the late 1990s. He is now president of Clayton Consultants, a global risk and crisis management company.

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.