The uses of RL torture has been quite controversial in the U.S., I'm ashamed to say. Despite our recent history of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, I'm reminded that many actual (RL) interrogators feel that torture is an unreliable method of extracting information. I was watching a Youtube video of a RL FBI interrogator who talked about how he uncovered an Eastern European agent. I was surprised (and, I admit, delighted,) by how subtle cultural differences can be exploited. Tarantino used this as a plot point in "Inglourious Basterds" by having the British (or was he American) agent raise his forefinger, middle finger, and ring finger to indicate "three," which immediately signified to the Germans that he was a foreigner, who use the thumb as the "number one" finger. I remember when I saw that the first time, I thought, "What, WTF, why are the Germans suddenly acting so weird?" Likewise, in RL, this Eastern European agent was exposed by the FBI agent after the he (the FBI agent) had watched a good deal of CCTV of the suspect, some of which showed the suspect coming out of a florist's shop. After seeing that the FBI agent knew without a doubt that the suspect was indeed a foreign agent. Why? He was carrying the bouquet backwards. Apparently, Eastern Europeans typically carry a flower bouquet with the flowers facing backwards and the cut stems forwards. Americans never do that! If I saw someone walking down the street carrying a bouquet of flowers like that, I would immediately know that they were not from 'round here, and to keep an eye on 'em!
The Eastern European agent gave it up when he knew he was busted.
He spoke flawless, unaccented English. He'd been schooled in all the customs and traditions. Except in this one thing.