Article archive / December 1, 2015
Originally published: . Volume 6, No. 12. Source pages: 4.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Washington brought a lawsuit against the two Air Force psychologists, James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen, who helped design “enhanced interrogation techniques” for the CIA during the aftermath of 9/11. The suit was filed October 13.
The suit was filed by the ACLU on behalf of three individuals where were interrogated by the CIA in Afghanistan, and one who died by in custody, reportedly of hypothermia.
The ACLU complaint states that the two psychologists, “… conspired with the CIA in violating these international law norms, or committed those violations as part of a joint criminal enterprise with the Agency, and aided and abetted the CIA in their commission.”
The ACLU authors claim that Mitchell and Jessen were “experimenting” on prisoners because the interrogation methods were not proven to be effective. Mitchell and Jessen designed methods based on their survival training for U.S. military personnel who might themselves be interrogated.
Aggressive interrogation techniques such as sleep deprivation were added and justified by “The Torture Memos” that said that terrorists were not protected under the Geneva Convention because they hid among and targeted civilians.
The two Air Force members and military psychologists have been at the center of a storm of issues for the American Psychological Association that prompted a study to be commissioned called the Hoffman Report. Chicago attorney David Hoffman found what he believed to be “collusion” between APA staff and the Department of Defense.
On August 14, 2015, the APA Council of Representatives voted to ban psychologists from participating in national security interrogations. Votes were reported in the APA Monitor. Several Louisiana psychologists participated in that vote.
Dr. Darlyne Nemeth, APA Council Representative and member of the Louisiana Psychological Association, voted yes to the ban.
Dr. Charles Figley, representing Division 56 (Trauma Psychology) voted yes.
And Dr. Corwin Boake, representing Division 40 (Clinical Neuropsychology) voted yes.
Dr. Larry James, who is a military psychologist and who remains licensed in Louisiana, and who represented Division 19 (Military Psychology) for this matter, voted No. He was the only no vote.
Specifically the resolution directed: “psychologists shall not conduct, supervise, be in the presence of, or otherwise assist any national security interrogations for any military or intelligence entities, including private contractors working on their behalf, nor advise on conditions of confinement insofar as these might facilitate such an interrogation.”
The primary finding of Hoffman Report centered around a 2005 task force that Hoffman and others felt was top-heavy with military psychologists and biased. The report led to the ethics director, Stephen Behnke, being fired.
A report by James Bradshaw in The National Psychologist said that the report may trigger lawsuits. Bradshaw sited a comment by Louis Freeh, in The Guardian, that Freeh, an associate of Behnke, has threatened some type of legal response on Behnke’s behalf.
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