"Gender does matter. Sending a woman to interrogate a Muslim creates vast
problems for example. These are different cultures, different views of gender
and human lives are at stake. Using women in societies that hold them in
contempt might be satisfying to American ideals and principles, but they can
get people killed. My daughter was ran an interrogation center in Iraq where
the result of failure was death to many mericans. She couldn't be effective
in that environment and had the grace to know it, so she did not do her
job but handed off to men. Iraqi men who would talk to American men
would possibly be willing to die rather than talk to women." (thanks J.)