[Peace-discuss] Strong Dissent within the American Psychological Association

[Barbara kessel]

* American Psychological Association Rejects Blanket Ban on Participation in
Interrogation of U.S. Detainees *

The American Psychological Association (APA) has voted to overwhelmingly
reject a measure that would have banned its members from participating in
interrogations at Guantanamo Bay and other US detention centers. While not
banning psychologists from participating in interrogations, the council
approved a resolution prohibiting involvement in interrogations that use at
least 14 specified methods, including sleep deprivation, sexual humiliation
and mock executions. Democracy Now! was in San Francisco this weekend
covering the APA convention. We begin with Salon.com correspondent Mark
Benjamin.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/20/1628230


* APA Interrogation Task Force Member Dr. Jean Maria Arrigo Exposes Group¹s
Ties to Military *

Dr. Jean Maria Arrigo was one of three civilian members of an APA task force
that concluded psychologists were playing a ³valuable and ethical role² in
assisting the military. It was later revealed that that six of nine voting
members were from the military and intelligence agencies with direct
connections to interrogations at Guantanamo and elsewhere. At this weekend¹s
annual convention Dr. Arrigo exposed the inner workings of the group in an
extraordinary speech.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/20/1628234


* Dissident Voices: Ex-Task Force Member Dr. Michael Wessells Speaks Out on
Psychologists and Torture *

Dr. Michael Wessells is a former member of the PENS Task Force. He is a
professor of Clinical Population and Family Health at Columbia University
and a professor of psychology at Randolph-Macon College. He also advises
widely within the UN system on issues of child protection and protection
from human rights violations.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/20/1628239


* APA Members Hold Fiery Town Hall Meeting on Interrogation, Torture *

After the vote by the APA Council of Representatives to reject the proposal
that would have prohibited psychologists from participating in
interrogations at Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere, several hundred APA members
gathered for a town hall meeting on the issue. One by one dissident members
took to the stage to voice their outrage.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/20/1628253


* Headlines for August 20, 2007 *