Newly Appointed Burkle Center Fellow Matthew Alexander Discusses Harsh Interrogation Techniques on NPR's Fresh Air
Matthew Alexander was a senior military interrogator in Iraq. In 2006 he led an interrogation team that tracked down Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.
Published: Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Burkle Center Fellow Matthew Alexander is known for rejecting and criticizing harsh interrogation techniques, such as sleep deprivation, stress positions and waterboarding. He says his team was able to track down Zarqawi by building trust and rapport with members of Zarqawi's network held in a prison in Northern Iraq. Alexander chronicled that experience in his book "How to Break a Terrorist."
His new book describes his experience as part of a Special Forces team that conducted dozens of raids at homes of suspected al-Qaida members. His role was primarily to interrogate suspected insurgents and their families in their homes on those raids.
Matthew Alexander is an 18-year veteran of the Air Force and Air Force Reserves, a four-time combat veteran of Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq. He was awarded a Bronze Star for his service in Iraq. His new book is called "Kill or Capture."
