Psychologists, Torture, and the American Psychological Association

"Psychologists, Torture, and the APA" (Coalition for an Ethical Psychology)

BACKGROUND ABOUT THE COALITION'S INTERACTIVE TIMELINE

September 1, 2001

In the view of the Coalition for an Ethical Psychology, one of the defining tragedies of this two-decade era has been the involvement of members of our own profession in the brutal detainee operations that became an enduring symbol of the US government’s abandonment of international law and human rights. Equally disturbing from our perspective, over much of this period the American Psychological Association (APA) repeatedly failed to stand as a firm bulwark in defending the profession’s do-no-harm ethics and in opposing the weaponization of psychology.

Recognizing that the passage of time can dim memory and awareness, especially when powerful forces seem committed to distorting or denying the past, the Coalition has created this new interactive timeline — “Psychologists, Torture, and the American Psychological Association.” The timeline identifies dozens of categorized key events (many with hyperlinks for further background) that span the past 20+ years from the terrorist attacks of 9/11 to the present day.

It is our hope that the timeline will be a valuable resource — for those who simply want to better understand what transpired; for those who want to conduct in-depth research; and for those who want to protect the profession and the APA from repeating similar missteps in the weeks, months, and years ahead.

INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO USE THE TIMELINE

September 1, 2001

This timeline was constructed by Coalition member Roy Eidelson. Events in light-blue are focused on psychology; events in light-green identify broader milestones in the “war on terror.” Zoom-in and zoom-out options are available. Placing the cursor on individual events reveals hyperlinks with further background information. To search the timeline, use "Control+F" on a PC or "Command+F" on a Mac. Below the timeline is a chronological listing of all included events; some dates are approximate.

September 11th Terrorist Attacks

September 11, 2001

American Psychological Association (APA) activates Disaster Response Network

September 14, 2001

https://www.apa.org/monitor/sep01/trauma

CIA is authorized to detain and interrogate suspects in “war on terror”

2001-09-17

https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/publications/CRPT-113srpt288.pdf (p. 11)

Congress authorizes use of force against Al Qaeda/Taliban

2001-09-18

APA cites central goal: situating psychology “as a key national resource"

October 1, 2001

http://www.radpsynet.org/admin/response.html

APA reaches out to Department of Defense (DoD) and CIA to learn about needs

October 1, 2001

https://www.apa.org/monitor/nov01/gearsup

US War in Afghanistan begins

2001-10-07

President Bush signs Patriot Act

2001-10-26

Justice Department memo: detainees are not entitled to Geneva protections

2001-11-06

https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/torturingdemocracy/documents/20011106.pdf

Bush permits indefinite detention and evidence obtained from torture

2001-11-13

https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/11/20011113-27.html; https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/torturingdemocracy/documents/20011113.pdf

Psychologist Morgan Banks deploys to Bagram detention facility in Afghanistan

November 15, 2001

APA issues terrorism resolution, calls for more funding for behavioral research

2001-12-07

https://www.apa.org/about/policy/chapter-4b

Martin Seligman hosts CIA's James Mitchell, Kirk Hubbard, others at his home

2001-12-15

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/12/us/12psychs.html

DoD Sec Rumsfeld: detainees to be moved from Afghanistan to Guantanamo (GTMO)

2001-12-27

Afghans detained at Bagram prison claim mistreatment and abuse

2002-01-01

https://www.hrw.org/reports/2004/usa0604/4.htm

Mitchell and Bruce Jessen develop/promote paper on countermeasures to resistance

January 1, 2002

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CPRT-110SPRT48761/pdf/CPRT-110SPRT48761.pdf (pp. 6-7)

Philip Zimbardo becomes APA President

2002-01-01

Amnesty International sends letter of concern to DoD's Rumsfeld

January 7, 2002

https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/torturingdemocracy/documents/20020107.pdf

John Yoo/Jay Bybee memos: international law doesn’t bind Bush

2002-01-09

https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/torturingdemocracy/documents/20020109.pdf; https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/torturingdemocracy/documents/20020122.pdf

First detainees sent to Guantanamo (GTMO) detention facility in Cuba

2002-01-11

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/guantanamo-bay-detainees.html

Rumsfeld: GTMO detainees are "unlawful combatants" with no Geneva protections

January 11, 2002

https://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/central/01/11/ret.detainee.transfer/index.html

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) begins visits to Guantanamo

January 18, 2002

Habeas petition on behalf of GTMO detainees dismissed

2002-01-21

https://casetext.com/case/coalition-of-clergy-v-bush-3

Bush: detainees are "unlawful combatants" and Geneva Conventions do not apply

2002-02-07

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/URLs_Cited/OT2005/05-184/05-184_2.pdf

U.S. officials: Guantanamo will be long-term prison camp

2002-02-12

Center for Constitutional Rights files Rasul v. Bush lawsuit

2002-02-19

https://ccrjustice.org/home/what-we-do/our-cases/rasul-v-bush

First hunger strike at Guantanamo begins

2002-02-27

https://ccrjustice.org/files/Final%20Hunger%20Strike%20Report%20Sept%202005.pdf

APA holds its first “Countering Terrorism” invitational conference

2002-02-28

https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2002/11/countering-terrorism.pdf

APA on Capitol Hill: use psychologists in counter-terrorism efforts

March 1, 2002

https://www.apa.org/monitor/dec02/ppup

CIA approves “enhanced interrogation techniques” (EITs)

2002-03-15

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/09/politics/report-warned-cia-on-tactics-in-interrogation.html

Abu Zubaydah captured in Pakistan, moved to CIA black site and tortured there

2002-03-28

https://www.therenditionproject.org.uk/prisoners/zubaydah.html; https://www.lawfareblog.com/what-politics-and-media-still-get-wrong-about-abu-zubaydah

Mitchell and Jessen reportedly begin torturous interrogation of Zubaydah

2002-04-01

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/07/torture200707

VP Cheney, CIA director Tenet, DoD secretary Rumsfeld et al meet re Zubaydah

2002-04-01

https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/LawPolitics/story?id=4583256&page=1

Psychologist Scott Shumate is at black site for part of Zubaydah interrogation

April 10, 2002

https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Forever_Prisoner/0rdmEAAAQBAJ; https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2007/07/torture200707

Seligman gives invited lecture at SERE event; Mitchell and Jessen in attendance

2002-05-01

SERE is an acronym for "Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape." The US government's torturous "enhanced interrogation techniques" were based in part on the "reverse-engineering" of SERE tactics; https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Dark_Side/w8-y8v99TCIC

APA encourages federal agencies to recruit behavioral scientists

June 1, 2002

https://web.archive.org/web/20131027041130/http://www.apa.org/about/gr/science/spin/2002/07/also-issue.aspx

Psychologist Bryce Lefever deploys to Afghanistan and coaches interrogators

June 1, 2002

US government claims executive authority for indefinite detentions

2002-06-08

https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/torturingdemocracy/documents/20020608.pdf

APA member John Leso becomes BSCT psychologist at GTMO

2002-07-01

BSCT is an acronym for "Behavioral Science Consultation Team." A BSCT was initially composed of a psychologist, a psychiatrist, and a technician.

Bybee's "torture memos" authorize so-called enhanced interrogation techniques

2002-08-01

https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB127/02.08.01.pdf; https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/olc/legacy/2010/08/05/memo-bybee2002.pdf

DoD recommends psychologists develop plan to "exploit detainee vulnerabilities"

August 14, 2002

https://irp.fas.org/agency/dod/abuse.pdf (p. 25)

APA Council adopts more permissive Ethics Code, incorporates "Nuremberg Defense"

2002-08-21

https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/evolution-revision.pdf; https://kspope.com/nuremberg.php

Morgan Banks et al host SERE meeting for Leso, GTMO interrogation personnel

2002-09-16

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CPRT-110SPRT48761/pdf/CPRT-110SPRT48761.pdf (p. 142)

Alberto Gonzales, David Addington, John Yoo et al tour Guantanamo

2002-09-25

GTMO BSCT members John Leso and Paul Burney present SERE-based techniques memo

2002-10-02

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CPRT-110SPRT48761/pdf/CPRT-110SPRT48761.pdf (pp. 50-53); https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/torturingdemocracy/documents/20021011.pdf

Torturous interrogation of Mohammed al-Qahtani begins at Guantanamo

2002-11-23

https://content.time.com/time/2006/log/log.pdf

Rumsfeld officially authorizes torturous interrogation techniques at Guantanamo

2002-12-02

https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/torturingdemocracy/documents/20021127-1.pdf

NCIS psychologist Michael Gelles objects to GTMO interrogations, alerts superior

December 15, 2002

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/02/27/the-memo

Washington Post: CIA treating detainees inhumanely at black sites

2002-12-26

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/12/26/us-decries-abuse-but-defends-interrogations/737a4096-2cf0-40b9-8a9f-7b22099d733d/

APA member Larry James reportedly replaces BSCT member Leso at Guantanamo

2003-01-01

Robert Sternberg becomes APA President

2003-01-01

Rumsfeld temporarily rescinds approval of some interrogation techniques at GTMO

January 15, 2003

https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/torturingdemocracy/documents/20030115-1.pdf

James reportedly leads transport of 3 juveniles from Bagram to GTMO

2003-02-03

https://humanrights.ucdavis.edu/projects/the-guantanamo-testimonials-project/testimonies/testimonies-of-military-psychologists-index/testimony-of-col-ret-larry-c-james

Mohammed Jawad, a minor, arrives at Guantanamo and begins 30 days' isolation

February 7, 2003

https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/amr510912008eng.pdf

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed waterboarded 183x by Mitchell & Jessen at CIA black site

2003-03-01

https://www.therenditionproject.org.uk/prisoners/khaled-sheikh-mohammed.html; https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/publications/CRPT-113srpt288.pdf

Yoo memo provides defense for detainee abuse

2003-03-14

https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/safefree/yoo_army_torture_memo.pdf

US invasion of Iraq begins

2003-03-19

GTMO Camp Delta SOP is distributed, includes 4-weeks' isolation

2003-03-28

http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/OathBetrayed/SOP%201-238.pdf

ICRC: mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. troops

2003-04-01

https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2004-05-08-0405080140-story.html

Rumsfeld authorizes 24 techniques, including isolation

2003-04-16

https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/torturingdemocracy/documents/20030416.pdf; https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/torturingdemocracy/documents/20030314.pdf

Guantanamo reaches peak detainee population of approximately 680

June 1, 2003

https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-13-31.pdf

APA-CIA-RAND host “Science of Deception” workshop, Mitchell and Jessen attend

2003-07-17

https://www.apa.org/about/gr/science/spin/2003/07/also-issue

Amnesty warns: Coalition forces are failing to uphold human rights in Iraq

July 23, 2003

https://reliefweb.int/report/iraq/iraq-continuing-failure-uphold-human-rights

Guantanamo interrogation experts sent to Iraq, recommend harsher techniques

2003-08-01

https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/torturingdemocracy/documents/20030914.pdf; https://irp.fas.org/agency/dod/abuse.pdf (p. 27)

Hubbard informs APA staff member that Mitchell and Jessen are "not available"

August 6, 2003

Email from CIA's Hubbard to APA's Geoff Mumford: "You won't get any feedback from Mitchell or Jessen. They are doing special things to special people in special places, and generally are not available." https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/2069718/report.pdf (pp. 39-40)

Torturous "special interrogation plan" against Mohamedou Slahi begins at GTMO

August 13, 2003

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/12/us/politics/torture-post-9-11.html

Mass suicide attempts by detainees at Guantanamo

2003-08-15

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4464452

For the first time, an APA science policy fellow is placed with the CIA

September 5, 2003

https://www.apa.org/monitor/mar04/adding.html

ICRC warning: serious deterioration in psychological health of GTMO detainees

October 14, 2003

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2003/10/14/guantanamo-guards-embrace-islam

Mock execution of Iraqi prisoner by US soldier reported

2003-11-01

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/nov/19/iraq.julianborger

Diane Halpern becomes APA President

2004-01-01

GTMO detainee Omar Khadr, 16, subjected to sleep deprivation

2004-03-01

https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/amr200012010en.pdf

APA member Debra Dunivin reportedly deploys to GTMO

2004-04-01

60 Minutes II releases photos of Abu Ghraib abuses

2004-04-27

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/abuse-of-iraqi-pows-by-gis-probed/

CIA: psychologist feedback used in designing interrogation program

2004-05-07

https://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/politics/20090825-DETAIN/2004CIAIG.pdf

APA-CIA-RAND hold “Interpersonal Deception" invitational workshop

2004-06-15

https://www.apa.org/about/gr/science/spin/2004/07/gerwehr

Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, SCOTUS grants right to challenge enemy combatant status

2004-06-28

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/542/507/

Rasul v. Bush, SCOTUS finds detainees can challenge their detention

2004-06-28

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/542/466/

APA ethics director Stephen Behnke hosts private meeting with CIA & DoD reps

2004-07-01

https://www.apa.org/independent-review/revised-report.pdf (pp. 198-202)

Mitchell Jessen and Associates reportedly has booth at APA Convention

2004-07-29

Military commissions used at Guantanamo for first time

2004-08-24

https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Photos/igphoto/2002021569/; https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/24/us/threats-and-responses-tough-justice-after-terror-a-secret-rewriting-of.html

George W. Bush re-elected US President

2004-11-02

Leaked ICRC report: “tantamount to torture” at GTMO

2004-11-30

https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/30/politics/red-cross-finds-detainee-abuse-in-guantanamo.html

Mitchell Jessen and Associates hired, receives $81 million over 4 years from CIA

January 1, 2005

https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/CRPT-113srpt288.pdf

Ronald Levant becomes APA President

2005-01-01

APA authorizes "Psychological Ethics and National Security" (PENS) task force

February 17, 2005

https://www.apa.org/independent-review/revised-report.pdf (pp. 230-231)

PENS task force members selected, most with military-intelligence backgrounds

March 18, 2005

https://www.apa.org/independent-review/revised-report.pdf (pp. 237-238); https://www2.clarku.edu/faculty/derivera/peacepsychology/tfpens.html

Updated Guantanamo BSCT SOP released

2005-03-28

https://humanrights.ucdavis.edu/projects/the-guantanamo-testimonials-project/testimonies/testimonies-of-standard-operating-procedures/bsct_sop_2005.pdf

PENS listserv begins ahead of APA task force meeting

2005-04-22

https://s3.amazonaws.com/propublica/assets/docs/pens_listserv.pdf

Steven Bradbury OLC memos authorize waterboard, sleep deprivation, other EITs

2005-05-01

https://www.therenditionproject.org.uk/pdf/PDF%2016%20[Bradbury%20Memo%20to%20Rizzo%20Certain%20Techniques%2010%20May%20200.pdf; https://www.therenditionproject.org.uk/pdf/PDF%2017%20[Bradbury%20Memo%20to%20Rizzo%20Combined%20Techniques%2010%20May%2020.pdf; https://www.therenditionproject.org.uk/pdf/PDF%2018%20[Bradbury%20Memo%20to%20Rizzo%2030%20May%202005].pdf

PENS listserv: Gerald Koocher sees psychologist role in debilitation and death

2005-05-05

https://s3.amazonaws.com/propublica/assets/docs/pens_listserv.pdf (p. 13)

PENS listserv: Banks explains US government is BSCT psychologist’s client

2005-05-11

https://s3.amazonaws.com/propublica/assets/docs/pens_listserv.pdf (p. 17)

PENS listserv: James claims no abuses with psychologists present since Jan. 2003

2005-05-23

https://s3.amazonaws.com/propublica/assets/docs/pens_listserv.pdf (p. 47)

APA task force on Psychological Ethics and National Security meets for 3 days

2005-06-24

https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/pens.pdf

PENS Report supports psychologists’ ongoing involvement in detainee operations

2005-06-26

https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/pens.pdf "Psychologists do not engage in behaviors that violate the laws of the United States..." (p. 5)

APA Board adopts PENS Report in emergency session--without Council review

2005-06-29

PENS Report released to the White House, Congress, DOD, and press

2005-07-05

PENS listserv: Koocher seemingly dismisses APA engagement with international law

2005-07-30

https://s3.amazonaws.com/propublica/assets/docs/pens_listserv.pdf (p. 160)

Mitchell Jessen & Associates reportedly offers APA-approved CE workshops

2005-08-01

APA’s Behnke on Democracy Now!: “Psychologists obey the law”

2005-08-11

https://www.democracynow.org/2005/8/11/psychological_warfare_a_debate_on_the "The task force states that psychologists have an absolute ethical obligation never to violate any United States law. And then, in addition, the task force said that psychologists must adhere — and they used four words to describe psychologist involvement: safe, legal, ethical and effective."

At APA convention, Behnke reportedly says PENS names are confidential

2005-08-19

https://s3.amazonaws.com/propublica/assets/docs/pens_listserv.pdf (p. 169)

Military confirms dozens of Guantanamo detainees on hunger strike

2005-08-25

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/18/politics/guantanamo-prisoners-go-on-hunger-strike.html

APA falsely claims Council has endorsed PENS Report

2005-08-29

https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2005/08/security

APA's Levant reportedly visits Guantanamo

2005-10-18

CIA destroys black site interrogation tapes

2005-11-01

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/06/washington/06cnd-intel.html

Detainee Treatment Act strips federal courts of jurisdiction over GTMO detainees

December 30, 2005

Gerald Koocher becomes APA President

2006-01-01

Koocher condemns critics of APA interrogation policy

2006-02-01

http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb06/pc.aspx "A number of opportunistic commentators masquerading as scholars have continued to report on alleged abuses by mental health professionals."

United Nations experts concerned over degrading treatment at Guantanamo

2006-02-16

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2009/10/human-rights-experts-issue-joint-report-situation-detainees-guantanamo-bay

Military confirms force-feeding, restraint chairs at Guantanamo

2006-02-21

https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/22/world/middleeast/forcefeeding-at-guantanamo-is-now-acknowledged.html

United Nations: Guantanamo undermines fundamental human rights

February 27, 2006

https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/570963/files/E_CN.4_2006_120-AR.pdf?ln=en

250 medical leaders condemn force-feeding at Guantanamo

2006-03-10

https://phr.org/news/over-250-medical-leaders-condemn-brutal-force-feeding-methods-at-guantanamo/

American Psychiatric Association votes against participation in interrogations

2006-05-20

https://www.psychiatry.org/getattachment/015a4fab-0de9-4c57-96b3-126c38e40e48/Position-Psychiatric-Participation-in-Interrogation-of-Detainees.pdf

Military alters BSCT composition, will use only psychologists

2006-06-06

https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/07/washington/07detain.html

3 Guantanamo detainees die under mysterious circumstances

2006-06-10

https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/us/11gitmo.html; https://harpers.org/archive/2010/03/the-guantanamo-suicides/

AMA declares physician participation in interrogations to be unethical

2006-06-12

https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/pn.41.13.0004a

UN human rights experts call for closure of Guantanamo

June 14, 2006

https://news.un.org/en/story/2006/06/182402

CIA’s Mitchell reportedly resigns from APA with ethics complaint pending

2006-06-28

https://www.apa.org/independent-review/revised-report.pdf (p. 489)

Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, SCOTUS: US must comply with Geneva Conventions

2006-06-29

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/548/557/

APA's Behnke lauds psychologists’ “unique competencies” as safety officers

2006-07-01

http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug06/interrogations.aspx

Center for Constitutional Rights issues report on torture at Guantanamo

July 1, 2006

https://ccrjustice.org/files/Report_ReportOnTorture.pdf

APA Council issues resolution against torture, but with US reservations

2006-08-10

https://www.apa.org/about/policy/2006-torture-archived.pdf; Note: “…BE IT RESOLVED, that the term ‘cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment’ means treatment or punishment by a psychologist that…is of a kind that would be ‘prohibited by the Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, as defined in the United States Reservations, Declarations and Understandings to the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment done at New York, December 10, 1984’”;