America’s War on Terror is, at its heart, a shadow war. The war’s most important weapons are intelligence gathering and information that often rest only in the minds of terror suspects around the world. Getting to those suspects, getting that information, and getting it on time, could save American lives.

Hundreds, maybe thousands of terror suspects have been captured so far as part of America’s War on Terror. They’re being held in Guantanamo, in Pakistan, perhaps on ships at sea. But what happens to them once they are in custody? How far should interrogators go to get critical information?

Mark Bowden wanted to know. In a new round of reporting, the “Blackhawk Down” author takes us to the interrogation rooms and “undisclosed locations” where American agents and their allies are squeezing for information with questions, coercion, and maybe torture.

Click the “Listen” link to hear author Mark Bowden explore the dark art of interrogation.

Guests:

Mark Bowden, author of “Black Hawk Down”, his article “The Dark Art of Interrogation” appears in the October 2003 issue of The Atlantic Monthly