For instance, while you keep claiming you do not believe in polygraph but keep citing one of the two polygraph results, maybe the dice is loaded. I mean, the same situation can be interpreted as "hey, the guy passed [one of] the polygraph test[s].
I don't believe that the polygraph is as reliable as is purported. But any experienced polygrapher will tell you that the machine is FAR MORE effective from the perspective that the subject BELIEVES he can't get away with lying.
80% of a polygraph interview is in how the polygrapher asks the questions and obtains a variety of data samples. But most of all, its the actual verbage questioning routine that yields the best results. The machine only acts like a "truth serum", when the REAL results are being derived from the human interviewer/interrogator (the former being a polite name for the latter.. :0).
As for doubtful circumstances, Wen Ho Lee's undisclosed trip to the PRC is hardly doubtful. If it was legitimate, why did he not willfully disclose it at the time he went? What did have to hide?
Like a story someone I knew once told me (we'll call him Mike, and he used to be a Army CI agent) about a guy he was investigating for a security clearance.
Mike was interviewing this guy for a TS/SBI clearance and he has to start asking this guy about the past 15 years of his life. Well, they came up to the question about whether the guy had ever used drugs and this guys says yes. Mike then asks him, "what kind?" "Reds, Yellows, Heroin, LSD, marijuana, uppers, downers, ludes.. etc"...
So Mike is taken aback by this revelation and asks him how many times has this guy used drugs? "Lord.. who knows... probably a couple of thousand times".....
So Mike asks him when was the last time he used drugs..... "About 15 years ago when I did a couple of tours in 'Nam".
Well since it had been so long ago and there had been no further use.. Mike continues to pursue the interview and asks this guy, to the best of his recollection, to account for all usage of narcotics and types used, as well as any after-effects he may have suffered (none).
The Central Clearance Facility at Fort Meade apparently processed the clearance application and granted this guy his clearance.
The point of the story is that they really don't care WHAT you've done (except passing secrets), but that they know about it so they can derive a sense for whether or not you are a good security risk. Keep a secret or lie to your investigator/CI security guy and you might as well kiss away your clearance.
Btw, so far as I know, the guy in the above story was very qualified and unless he had asked, Mike would never have guessed that this guy had been such a heavy user in the past.
I used to love hearing Mike tell this story. The guy is an incredibly funny and animated guy with a knack for making the mundane absolutely hilarious.
Regards,
Ron |
