« Idaho Spring Reflections: Republican Disillusionment, Human Rights, Aryan "Resurgence" and a bit of poetry. | kgb999's Blog | Yet another thought on the Iraqi photo decision. »
APA Psychologist's torture debate emails leaked.
ProPublica/Salon published a really good article on the role of psychologists in crafting the Bush administration torture policy. This article is well worth the read and provides tons of information on many of the players and issues popping up in congressional reports and memos. It also adds a few people and facts I was previously unaware of. There is just too much in the article to properly quote highlights ... read it!!!
As a part of the report, ProPublica has posted an entire mailing list archive from the "Presidential Task Force on Psychological Ethics and National Security" (PENS) group in the APA. These discussions led up to a much disputed report that many APA members found to be soft on torture. The raw emails offer an interesting window into the debate. At 216 pages, there is a lot of fluff - but a brief scan also turns up some very germane discussions as well.
Huffington Post is one of the few outlets to pick up on this. The Physicians for Human Rights is calling for an independent investigation of the process leading up to the APA report:
The actions of psychologists and the APA seem to be critical on this issue. The entire premise of the Bybee memo relies on professional assertions made by military psychologists. Also, the congressional report is clear that from the very beginning the torture idea was concieved and advanced in large part by these mental-health "professionals".
Anyhow, there's another 200+ pages of raw documents that show another little piece of this tragic puzzle. Have a nice weekend.
(Note: also must give props to ArsTechnica as one of the few to report on this).
As a part of the report, ProPublica has posted an entire mailing list archive from the "Presidential Task Force on Psychological Ethics and National Security" (PENS) group in the APA. These discussions led up to a much disputed report that many APA members found to be soft on torture. The raw emails offer an interesting window into the debate. At 216 pages, there is a lot of fluff - but a brief scan also turns up some very germane discussions as well.
Huffington Post is one of the few outlets to pick up on this. The Physicians for Human Rights is calling for an independent investigation of the process leading up to the APA report:
They seem to be fleshing out closer ties between the APA and Pentagon/military brass than has previously been acknowledged."These serious allegations require an independent investigation to determine whether APA leadership engaged in unethical conduct," said Steven Reisner, Ph.D., PHR Advisor for Psychological Ethics.
"The American public deserves to know if there were inappropriate contacts or conflicts of interest between APA officials and the Pentagon," he said.
The actions of psychologists and the APA seem to be critical on this issue. The entire premise of the Bybee memo relies on professional assertions made by military psychologists. Also, the congressional report is clear that from the very beginning the torture idea was concieved and advanced in large part by these mental-health "professionals".
Anyhow, there's another 200+ pages of raw documents that show another little piece of this tragic puzzle. Have a nice weekend.
(Note: also must give props to ArsTechnica as one of the few to report on this).
Advertisement
I've got them bookmarked from a link elsewhere.
Beware reading these. They may be troubling.
May 8, 2009 11:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Point google.com at this term: Psikhushka
I've not read the articles kgb999 references. Would I nevertheless bet something like dollars to doughnuts that there are convergences between what they contain about SERE & etcetera, and the Soviet toolkit? Of course I would.
May 8, 2009 11:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is too freaky.
Not as freaky as Panetta rushing to Pelosi's defense to proclaim the minutes of the CIA briefings taken at the time can be less reliable than Pelosi's memory today of what she was told then about waterboarding.
But still freaky.
May 9, 2009 10:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wait till Tom Cruise and his cult get a hold of this info! This would fit perfectly into the malevolent portrait they paint of psychiatry and psychology.
May 9, 2009 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
May 9, 2009 12:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Great 'catches' here KGB. Good stuff.
Hey, are not all professionals out there to make some money and pump up resumes and please the powers that be?
The purpose of life. In the end its
Avoid the appearance of impropriety.
DONT GET CAUGHT!!!
TheraP is so damn mad at all this. I do not blame her.
May 9, 2009 12:28 PM | Reply | Permalink