Federal Bureau of Investigation · 935 Pennsylvania Ave NW · Washington DC 20535
Interviewing Saddam
FBI Agent Gets to the Truth
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Imagine sitting across from Saddam Hussein every day for nearly seven straight months—slowly earning his trust, getting him to spill secrets on everything from whether he gave the order to gas the Kurds (he did) to whether he really did have weapons of mass destruction on the eve of war (he didn’t). All the while gathering information that would ultimately be used to prosecute the deposed dictator in an Iraqi court.
That was the job of FBI Special Agent George Piro, who told his story Sunday, January 27, on the TV news program 60 Minutes.
Soon after U.S. special forces pulled Saddam out of a spider hole on December 13, 2003, the CIA—knowing the former dictator would ultimately have to answer for his crimes against the Iraqi people—asked the FBI to debrief Hussein because of our longstanding work in gathering statements for court.
That’s when we turned to Piro, an investigator on our terrorism fly team who was born in Beirut and speaks Arabic fluently. Piro was supported by a team of CIA analysts and FBI agents, intelligence analysts, language specialists, and a behavioral profiler.
Piro knew getting Saddam to talk wouldn’t be easy. He prepped by carefully studying the former dictator’s life so he could better connect with Saddam and more easily determine when he was being honest. It worked: during the first interview on January 13, 2004, Piro talked about Saddam’s four novels and Iraqi history, which impressed Hussein. Saddam asked for Piro to come back.
From that day forward, everything Piro did was designed to build an emotional bond with Saddam and to get him to talk truthfully. To make Hussein dependent on him and him alone, Piro became responsible for virtually every aspect of his life, including his personal needs. He always treated Saddam with respect, knowing he would not respond to threats or tough tactics. As part of his plan, Piro also never told Hussein that he was an FBI field agent, instead letting him believe, for the sake of building credibility, that he was a high-level official who reported directly to the President.
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Message: 1
From: Federal Bureau of Investigation <fbi@service.govdelivery.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:36:56 -0600 (CST)
Subject: FBI In the News Updated
Hawaii Police Major Indicted on Extortion, Witness Tampering Charges
Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:37:42 -0600
Carlton S. Nishimura, of Waianae, Hawaii, currently a major of the Honolulu Police Department, was indicted on charges of extortion, attempting to tamper with a witness, and making false statements.
Alaska Woman Indicted for $7 Million Fraud Schemes
Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:32:58 -0600
Dorothy Samantha Delay-Wilson, of Anchorage, Alaska, was indicted on charges of securities fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, bankruptcy fraud, and bank fraud in connection with schemes in which she obtained more than $7 million from numerous victims.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Bankruptcy Fraud Charges
Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:29:38 -0600
Charles C. Jamison, of Rancho Cordova, California, pled guilty this week to engaging in a scheme to use the bankruptcy process to fraudulently delay foreclosures pending on the residential properties of clients he solicited through a program called "Stop Now." Through blind mailings, distressed homeowners in the Sacramento area received a flyer in which Jamison, using a fictitious identity, falsely promised homeowners facing a trustee sale that he could help them save their homes.
Thirteen Indicted in Indiana in Khat Trafficking Conspiracy
Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:17:18 -0600
Thirteen individuals were indicted in Indianapolis on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cathinone, aka khat, a Schedule I Narcotic Controlled Substance, and possession with intent to distribute cathinone.
Eleven Alleged Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Members Charged for Roles in Assault
Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:13:43 -0600
Eleven alleged members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) were indicted for their alleged roles in the 2008 beating of a gang prospect in Tomball, Texas. The ABT is a race-based, state-wide organization that operates inside and outside of state and federal prisons throughout Texas and elsewhere in the United States.
Three Pennsylvania Men Indicted on Drug Distribution Charges
Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:12:00 -0600
Andres Castro, Juan Amir Rivera, and Elias Adames were charged with conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, and possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. Castro and Rivera were also charged with illegal reentry after deportation.
Former Fugitive Pleads Guilty in Washington in Massive Hashish Smuggling Scheme
Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:43:24 -0600
Lee Rushing pled guilty in Tacoma, Washington to money laundering in connection with a massive 1992 hashish smuggling scheme. Rushing was arrested in November 2008 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and was the last of four defendants captured in connection with a drug smuggling conspiracy that imported 50,000 pounds of hashish into the United States in July 1992.
Tribal Member Pleads Guilty in Washington to Sexually Abusing Minors
Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:40:56 -0600
Roger Walter Damien, an enrolled member of the Swinomish Tribe, pled guilty in Seattle to his involvement in sexual relationships with two young Native American females under the age of 16.
Four Sentenced in California in Connection with $55 Million Mortgage Fraud Scheme
Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:33:14 -0600
Maria Echeverria, Ivan Gil, Laneka Chatton, and Jonathan J. Garcia were sentenced in San Diego, California in connection with their participation in a $55 million mortgage fraud scheme. The four are among 19 defendants named in a 51-count indictment that alleges wire fraud, mail fraud, and criminal forfeiture.
Message: 2
From: Federal Bureau of Investigation <fbi@service.govdelivery.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:35:57 -0600 (CST)
Subject: FBI In the News Updated
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft, Related Charges
Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:47:19 -0600
Brock Lynnale Thompson, of Duval County, Florida, pled guilty to aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number. Thompson purchased the identity of a deceased infant from the child's mother and used the infant's personal identification information to obtain approximately 12 different Florida driver's licenses and identification cards in the identity of the deceased infant.
$13 Million Settlement in Medicare Fraud-Related False Claims Act Case
Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:39:39 -0600
APS Healthcare Midwest has agreed to a $13 million settlement with the U.S. and the state of Georgia for allegedly submitting false claims to Medicaid because it did not provide specialty services related to disease management and case management to members of the Georgia Medicaid Management Program.
Former Louisiana Police Officer Charged with Submitting Falsified Payroll Forms
Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:33:24 -0600
Carol Ney, of Kenner, Louisiana, was charged with obtaining property by fraud concerning programs receiving federal funds while she was employed as a police officer by the City of Harahan, Louisiana in connection with her submission of fraudulent payroll forms which resulted in her receipt of $10,840.
Michigan Home Builder Sentenced in $4.1 Million Mortgage Fraud Scheme
Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:28:40 -0600
Giuseppe Cracchiolo, of Romeo, Michigan, was sentenced to six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme that resulted in the approval and disbursement of over $4.1 million in fraudulent mortgage loans.
South Dakota Man Convicted of Child Abuse
Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:10:52 -0600
Donovan Tom Yazzie, of Eagle Butte, South Dakota, was convicted of child abuse.
Message: 3
From: Federal Bureau of Investigation <fbi@service.govdelivery.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:13:51 -0600 (CST)
Subject: New Tools to Find FBI's Most Wanted
Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:30:00 -0600
A search database is among the new tools available to you to help us close open investigations.
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Federal Bureau of Investigation · 935 Pennsylvania Ave NW · Washington DC 20535