Will Dennis Rodman be debriefed?

April 3, 2013 3:38 PM

Will Dennis Rodman get debriefed by the government or secret service?

I was reading an article today that said that Kim Jong Un told Dennis Rodman on his recent trip to North Korea that he would like nothing more than for Obama to call him.

Aside from the mind boggling fact that information on a very sensitive geopolitical topic used Dennis Rodman as a source, it made me wonder - will the government question him (secretly or otherwise) on any information he may have about a notoriously secretive leader who we don't really have any diplomatic relations with?

posted by triggerfinger to Law & Government (14 answers total)

I suspect the government won't bother, on the grounds that Mr. Rodman wouldn't be viewed as a reliable observer.
posted by easily confused at 3:47 PM on April 3, 2013 [4 favorites]

Yeah, easily confused has it. There's an old saying in intelligence that the only thing worse than knowing nothing is knowing the wrong thing -- a short trip by an inexperienced civilian to a country known for stage managing its visitors to the nth degree won't produce the slightest bit of useful information.

Saying that the leader of a country that has long presented itself as a regional superpower wants to talk to the leader of an actual superpower isn't really "information on a very sensitive geopolitical topic" -- I could have told you that Kim Jong-Un would like to speak to Barack Obama, and I haven't been to Korea since the first Clinton administration.
posted by Etrigan at 4:41 PM on April 3, 2013 [2 favorites]

If he had anything to tell, I bet Rodman would have already told the media. I'm not really sure what information the government would be seeking-- we know Kim Jong Un is in good health and his position is secure, and any "information" would be disregarded pure propaganda and saber-rattling.

Plus they could not reasonably expect Rodman to keep such a debriefing a secret, so things might get embarrassing. But what do I know-- maybe Obama's friends Lebron & Dwyane are on an undercover fact-finding mission at this very moment.
posted by acidic at 4:47 PM on April 3, 2013 [2 favorites]

They can try, but Rodman is so cray-cray at this point that there's nothing reliable the government will get from him.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:46 PM on April 3, 2013

Mr. Rodman might have forgotten all about North Korea after he went to Rome to back some poor unsuspecting cardinal for pope. With friends like Dennis...
posted by Cranberry at 5:50 PM on April 3, 2013 [1 favorite]

If he was going to be debriefed, he would have been already. But there isn't much info to be gained, considering DPRK's seeming penchant for putting on choreographed shows for visitors.

I'm sure they talked to him as a pro-forma procedure, but I'm also sure it was nothing more than:

Agent: So, did you see anything interesting?
Rodman: Dude likes Chivas, yo.
Agent: Did he say anything interesting?
Rodman: Little man wants Obama to call him.
Agent: Alright, thanks for your time.
posted by gjc at 6:15 PM on April 3, 2013 [2 favorites]

Seems like any information at all about how this new and extremely secretive person in charge of a massive military thinks and acts could be conceivably useful, or at least worth asking about.
posted by TheRedArmy at 7:16 PM on April 3, 2013

Well, I don't think Rodman has much to add to what we (the US) already know, but the assumption by some responders to this question, that Kim is firmly in charge, may not be a good assumption. We do not know if he is making the calls, if one of his advisers is pushing his buttons or even if the military will listen. I think there is a decent chance the military leaders have leverage over him and are not afraid to make "suggestions" about policy. We do know that several small military units defected to China but were sent back. We know Kim is likely in good physical health. But, if he is actually in total control and making all the decisions, we do not know.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:59 PM on April 3, 2013

I think he'll be debriefed, unless there is a risk that he'll go to the media about being debriefed.

Sure, he's not going to convey state secrets, and he doesn't have the technical expertise to identify tells from things he's seen.

But what intelligence agencies want to know is not what you might think and they are often far less well informed than you might think. Especially when it comes to North Korea. For example, helping to identify who is in Kim Jong-Un's inner circle, and who is out is very useful for establishing who might be suitable for grooming as an agent.
posted by MuffinMan at 12:50 AM on April 4, 2013

Considering Rodman's assessment of Kim Jung-un was that he is a "great guy" and his "friend," I'm not sure there are any astute or useful observations to be gotten. They may talk to other people in Rodman's traveling group, but Rodman is an idiot. And if the government did talk to him, he'd probably tell any media outlet that will listen what they asked him and I don't think the government wants to risk that for several reasons. So no, I doubt it.
posted by AppleTurnover at 1:42 AM on April 4, 2013

I'm sure they talked to him as a pro-forma procedure, but I'm also sure it was nothing more than:

You bet. Because if the interview went like:

Agent: So, did you see anything interesting?
Rodman: Dude wants to buy some yellowcake from Niger, yo.

Then Denis Rodman would be the most reliable intelligence source on the planet.
posted by three blind mice at 2:28 AM on April 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

The actual question is: Would the government debrief Kim about what Rodman is really like?

Both of these guys are goofballs. Who can vouch for the reliability of what either says?
posted by noonknight at 3:13 AM on April 4, 2013

Best answer: Update: Yes.
posted by acidic at 9:25 AM on April 17, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Wow. Thank you!
posted by triggerfinger at 5:11 PM on April 17, 2013