High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group

The High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG) is a U.S. three-agency intelligence-gathering entity that brings together intelligence professionals from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the United States Department of Defense (DoD).[6][7] It is administratively housed within the FBI's National Security Branch.[8]

High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group
Seal of the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group
ActiveAugust 2009 – present[1]
(14 years)
CountryUnited States
AgencyFederal Bureau of Investigation
Central Intelligence Agency
Department of Defense
Part ofNational Security Branch (administrative)
AbbreviationHIG
Commanders
Current
commander		Lawrence Buckley[2]
Notable
commanders		Eli Miranda[3]

George Piro[4]

Frazier Thompson[5]

The HIG was created by President Barack Obama in August 2009 with its charter written in April 2010.[9][10] It was established to question terrorism suspects soon after their arrests, to quickly obtain information about accomplices and terrorism threats.[10]

The group was to be responsible for interrogations overseas.[11] In January 2010, the Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair said that the group would begin interrogating people in the U.S. as well.[11] The HIG claims to use authorized, lawful, non-coercive techniques and conducts research on the effectiveness of interrogation techniques and provides training for their interrogators, other U.S. Intelligence Community and law enforcement partners and allies abroad.[7]

The HIG is administered by the FBI.[6] The Director of the HIG is an FBI representative with two deputies, one from the DoD and the other from the CIA.[6] The HIG is subject to oversight by the National Security Council, the Department of Justice, and by Congress.[6][10]

The group's creation stopped a bureaucratic war between the CIA and the FBI over who had responsibility for interrogations.[9][12]

HIG questioned Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani-American citizen responsible for the 2010 Times Square car bombing attempt,[10] Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev,[13] and Benghazi terror suspect Ahmed Abu Khattala.

References
  1. "History and Evolution". Federal Bureau of Investigation. August 28, 2010. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  2. "Lawrence Buckley ('07) appointed Director of the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group". The Institute of World Politics. February 19, 2021. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  3. "Eli S. Miranda Named Special Agent in Charge of the Honolulu Field Office". FBI.gov. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  4. "George Piro Named Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Field Office". FBI.gov. Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  5. "Detainee Interrogation Chief: Waterboarding Doesn't Work". February 12, 2016. Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  6. "High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group". FBI. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  7. "Symposium Facilitates Exchange of Research on Lawful Interrogations: Event Sponsored by Government's High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group". FBI. October 27, 2015. Archived from the original on January 2, 2016.
  8. "National Security Branch Brochure" (PDF). Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  9. Kornblut, Anne E. (August 24, 2009). "Obama Approves New Team to Question Key Terror Suspects". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  10. Kimberly Dozier (June 3, 2010). "WH adviser: Interrogation team questions Shahzad". Associated Press. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  11. Hsu, Spencer S.; Agiesta, Jennifer (January 21, 2010). "Intelligence Chief says FBI was Too Hasty in Handling of Attempted Bombing". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  12. Barnes, Ed (May 12, 2010). "Elite High Value Interrogation Unit Is Taking Its First Painful Steps". Fox News.
  13. McKelvey, Tara (April 24, 2013). "Boston bombings: How to interrogate a suspected terrorist". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved April 24, 2013.


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