Author archives

“Ashcroft on Polygraph Testing”

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 …

Attorney General Aware of 15% False Positive Rate

In an article entitled “FBI to Expand Polygraph Testing After Spy Case,” Reuters correspondent James Vicini notes that Attorney General John Ashcroft said in a press conference that he knows polygraph screening “tests” to have a 15% false positive rate. (Ashcroft’s actual words were, “The polygraph is said to have about 15 percent false positives…”) …

“Spy vs. Lie”

This Christian Science Monitor editorial advocates increased reliance on polygraph screening by the FBI. Excerpt: We will find spies and we will prosecute them,” said President Bush at his first press conference last week. But catching a spy red-handed, as the FBI apparently did with agent Robert Hanssen this month, is like trying to dazzle …

“Fire Freeh”

In this Washington Post op-ed piece, former Washington Post and Wall Street Journal writer Ronald Kessler says that FBI Director Louis Freeh should be fired for not having required routine polygraph “testing” for FBI counterintelligence personnel. Mr. Kessler obviously doesn’t know about “the lie behind the lie detector.” Excerpt: Back in 1994, just after the …

“FBI to Increase Polygraph Testing”

ABC News reports. Excerpt: Learning Lessons Attorney General John Ashcroft promised Wednesday to search for answers as to why Hanssen’s alleged spying went undetected. Ashcroft appointed former CIA and FBI Director William Webster to review FBI security procedures and recommend changes that could prevent future incidents. After the Ames spy case. the CIA overhauled its …

“FBI Polygraph Policy at Issue in Spy Case”

Los Angeles Times staff writers Eric Lichtblau and Eric Anderson report. Excerpt: WASHINGTON–Former FBI and CIA chief William H. Webster said Wednesday that he plans to examine whether the FBI–long reluctant to require periodic polygraph testing of its agents–should use polygraphs more aggressively to ferret out possible spies. Webster, who will assess the fallout from …