The Scientists Trying to End Torture
Motherboard reporter Kaleigh Rogers interviewed Mark for her article in Motherboard about the CIA torture program. Mark told Motherboard he was unable to convince leaders that rapport-building techniques would be more effective. Mark told Motherboard he still wonders what intelligence the CIA might have missed by not using tried-and-true methods and that the new scientific research can now inform interrogation planning.
The War Hero and the Chicken Hawk
Timothy Egan writes about Mark in his piece in the New York Times Opinion Page. Eagan wrote, “What Fallon concluded is what any fair-minded reader of the Senate report will conclude: that “at no time” did the torture program produce intelligence that averted a terrorist threat. Nor did it lead to Osama bin Laden.”
America’s ‘torture shame’
BBC News referred to mark in this piece about the release of the Senate report on CIA torture.
Views You Can Use: The CIA Torture Report Goes Public
U.S. News Associate Editor referenced Mark in his piece, saying: ‘Mark Fallon, who worked as an interrogator for more than 30 years, wrote in Politico, “It’s official: torture doesn’t work.” Fallon said he has long held that belief, and politicians like former Vice President Dick Cheney who asserted its efficacy (and continue to staunchly defend the CIA’s interrogation program) are just plain wrong. “Yes, torture makes people talk — but what they say is often untrue,” he wrote. Not only is it ineffective, but also incredibly costly – legally, morally and strategically. “Over the coming days, you’ll be hearing numerous torture defenders claim it kept Americans safe,” he wrote. “Don’t believe them.”’
Collaboration Between Practice and Science Will Enhance Interrogations
Mark wrote a commentary for a special edition of the Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology about some of the latest emerging research about interviews, interrogation and detecting deception. Mark explained that the lack of evidence-based research on interrogation created a murky claimant, where proponents of torture were able to cherry-pick information with dubious claims that abusive interrogations and torture would be effective.
Statement of National Security, Intelligence and Interrogation Professionals
Human Rights First brought together a high-level team of counterterrorism, interrogation, intelligence and national security professionals to develop a statement of principles about Constitutionally permissible interrogations. Mark was among this group, who stated torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment are illegal, ineffective, and immoral. Those practices were unconditionally rejected. The national security professionals published a statement that torture is illegal, ineffective, and counterproductive.