High-Value Interrogation Group
Encyclopedia
The High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG) is an intelligence-gathering group created by the President of the United States
in August 2009. Its charter was drawn up in April 2010. It is intended to centralize government expertise in enhanced interrogation techniques
. It was established to question terrorism
suspects as soon as possible after their arrest in order to quickly extract information from them to head off any plots that might be about to unfold, and track down anyone who may have assisted the suspect.
The group works mainly through interrogating overseas targets. The Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair stated in January 2010 that the group would extend its area of oversight to domestic targets as well. The group is made up of intelligence professionals from many branches of the U.S. government including the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI), Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA), and United States Department of Defense
, is housed within the FBI, and run under the auspices of the National Security Council
.
The group's creation shifted power from the CIA and the FBI to the White House
.
The unit is run headed by an FBI employee with two deputies (one from the CIA, and one from the U.S. Defense Department), and has three regional teams. It is staffed by linguists, terrorist analysts, and professional interrogators, and supplemented by other government specialists.
HIG was used to question Faisal Shahzad
, the Times Square
car bomber.
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in August 2009. Its charter was drawn up in April 2010. It is intended to centralize government expertise in enhanced interrogation techniques
Enhanced interrogation techniques
Enhanced interrogation techniques or alternative set of procedures are terms adopted by the George W. Bush administration in the United States to describe certain severe interrogation methods, often described as torture...
. It was established to question terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
suspects as soon as possible after their arrest in order to quickly extract information from them to head off any plots that might be about to unfold, and track down anyone who may have assisted the suspect.
The group works mainly through interrogating overseas targets. The Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair stated in January 2010 that the group would extend its area of oversight to domestic targets as well. The group is made up of intelligence professionals from many branches of the U.S. government including the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI), Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
(CIA), and United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, is housed within the FBI, and run under the auspices of the National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
.
The group's creation shifted power from the CIA and the FBI to the White House
Executive Office of the President of the United States
The Executive Office of the President consists of the immediate staff of the President of the United States, as well as multiple levels of support staff reporting to the President. The EOP is headed by the White House Chief of Staff, currently William M. Daley...
.
The unit is run headed by an FBI employee with two deputies (one from the CIA, and one from the U.S. Defense Department), and has three regional teams. It is staffed by linguists, terrorist analysts, and professional interrogators, and supplemented by other government specialists.
HIG was used to question Faisal Shahzad
Faisal Shahzad
Faisal Shahzad is a Pakistani American who attempted the May 1, 2010, Times Square car bombing. On , 2010, in Federal District Court in Manhattan he confessed to 10 counts arising from the bombing attempt...
, the Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
car bomber.