In recent years it has become clear that psychologists have been pivotal actors in the Bush administration interrogation abuses, as they designed, conducted and standardized "enhanced interrogation techniques" amounting to torture. As Vanity Fair reporter Katherine Eban explained:
"I... discovered that psychologists weren't merely complicit in America's aggressive new interrogation regime. Psychologists, working in secrecy, had actually designed the tactics and trained interrogators in them while on contract to the CIA."
At this point it is unknown if psychologists are involved as among those "health" professionals who involuntarily administered drugs. But we should remember that, thanks partly to military support, a number of psychologists can now legally prescribe drugs. And some of those prescribing psychologists were with the Behavioral Science Consultation Teams [BSCTs] at Guantanamo. It also should be remembered that in 2003 the American Psychological Association co-sponsored with the CIA an invitation-only Science of Deception Workshop that discussed, among other topics, "What pharmacological agents are known to affect apparent truth-telling behavior?" CIA consultant torturers James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen were among those invited to attend, as were several of their superiors. Given these new revelations, the APA thus needs to speak openly and forthrightly about this conference, how it was organized, who attended and how they were selected, and what was discussed there. It is long past time for these actions of the psychological association to be openly discussed among the APA membership and the broader public.
This story constitutes further evidence that health professionals, likely including physicians as well as the psychologists previously known about, were central agents in the Bush administration's abusive detention and interrogation program. As the Post discusses, this behavior is a clear violation of medical ethics, going well beyond these professions' guiding "do no harm" standard. It is now incumbent upon Congress to investigate these serious allegations. Additionally, associations of health professionals need to make clear, unequivocal statements that participating in these activities is unethical and will not be tolerated.
Such statements are, however, but a first step toward dealing with these perversions of the health professions. The health professions need a truth and reconciliation process to explore the actions of health professionals, psychologists included, in aiding the varied abuses of detainees that are coming to light. This process must explore the actions, not just of individual professionals, but of professional associations in closing their eyes to, or perhaps even actively aiding these abuses.
As a first step toward such a process we need a committee of health professionals, human rights advocates, and retired intelligence professionals concerned about detention abuses to hear testimony and create a detailed account of what is available in the public record on health professional involvement in these abuses. The inclusion of intelligence professionals would help penetrate the fog of denial that surrounds classified intelligence activity. This committee also should examine and make recommendations for policy and structural changes in professional organizations to reduce the likelihood that these organizations will turn their backs on future abuses.
The health professions failed to come to terms with the extent of their involvement in the CIA's earlier mind-manipulation research, making them less alert to their potential roles in the contemporary "war on terror." Now that these professions are directly implicated in publicly-exposed detention abuses, they cannot afford again to avoid clarifying their ethical responsibilities. To fail to face squarely these abuses will change the image of the health professions for decades to come. Rather than be known as those that improve human welfare and "do no harm," these professions will be known as those that do the harm demanded by the powers that be. Should that eventuality come to pass, these professions will suffer greatly. But so will all of us who rely upon health professionals to care for our welfare.(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
