n his electronic newsletter, Secrecy News, Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists’ Project on Government Secrecy reports:
ASHCROFT ON POLYGRAPH TESTING
Attorney General John Ashcroft gave a qualified endorsement to polygraph testing at the FBI at a press conference yesterday.
“It’s my understanding that there have been cases in the past that polygraphing did not work on. I think you could name them. So the polygraph is not a sure way. The polygraph is said to have about 15 percent false positives and has an impact on the way an agency operates,” he said.
“Nevertheless, I believe that there are applications for polygraph that are important, and the director and I have agreed that because of the national security involved and the risks involved and the very important consequences of breaches, that we should elevate the use of polygraph in certain cases as it relates to the Bureau.”
His remarks on polygraph testing and the Hanssen case are posted here: