The Hoffman Report: APA's complicity and collusion in CIA torture post 9/11.

On July 2nd a 566 page report released by for US assistant attorney David Hoffman added further weight to the ongoing story revealing the American Psychology Association's deep complicity and collusion with the CIA and its torture programmes post 9/11, which were frequently utilised on incarcerated individuals in Guantanamo Bay.

Based on the evidence available to them of important interactions between APA and parts of the government, they believe that the only logical explanation for APA’s action is collusion or close coordination with the government. They describe APA’s apparent motive and intent in different ways, from a desire to curry favor with the government to an intent to help government officials engage in torture. And some are convinced that a comparison of the timing of APA’s actions and the timing of the Bush Administration’s actions establishes that APA was acting in explicit and close coordination with high-level Administration officials. Some label APA’s actions “criminal,” and have called out by name the APA officials and employees most involved with this issue, with a request that they be prosecuted. They have said that APA’s refusal to strictly limit — if not prohibit — the involvement of psychologists in national security interrogations on ethical grounds created an indelible stain on the entire profession, and a warped and improper definition of what it means to be a psychologist.

The news itself may not come as much of a surprise, particularly with a couple of past threads on this website mentioning the revelations through e-mails, and a separate report called 'All the President's Psychologists. The Hoffman Report however stands alone as an official full-scale inquiry which has been met with widespread disbelief and anger among the American psychological community; it is likely to lead to the sacking of a large number of influential psychologists, seemingly beginning with Stephen Behnke.

To compound the embarrassment of the APA, an article in the Guardian has revealed a cynical and rather crass smear campaign against Dr Jean Maria Arrigo, who for over a decade was outspoken about her concerns with the APA and CIA and also a reviewer in 'All the President's Psychologists'.

But the acrimony intensified after Arrigo took her concerns public at APA conventions. One of those meetings, in 2007 in San Francisco, attracted the attention of journalist Amy Goodman, who used it for a story on her Democracy Now broadcast. In response, Koocher told Goodman in an open letter that Arrigo was improperly influenced by the supposed “suicide” of her father – a former operative for the CIA’s second world war predecessor, who was actually alive when Koocher wrote his letter – and her “troubled upbringing.

Arrigo said she was untroubled by Koocher’s “idiotic” broadside, and simply forwarded around a photograph of her with her very-much-alive father. What was more troubling to her, she said, were the well-meaning members of APA who did not challenge the attacks.

“Not only did they do nothing, but they allowed themselves to be used,” she said.”.

Arrigo - A National Hero

US Torture Doctors Could Face Charges - Guardian

Hoffman Report - Inroduction and Link

a reply to: twfau

Considering torture is a violation of international law, everyone who approved anything should be imprisoned and tried in an international court. The death penalty was issued after WW2 for similar crimes against humanity.

These people are not psychologist they are psychopaths.

a reply to: Isurrender73

I'm pretty sure those "international courts" have no legitimate power, hence why justice is rarely served when it comes to things like this. If the host country won't prosecute, what's there to really do?

If it save 1 American life, it was right !

originally posted by: FamCore
a reply to: Isurrender73

I'm pretty sure those "international courts" have no legitimate power, hence why justice is rarely served when it comes to things like this. If the host country won't prosecute, what's there to really do?

Figure out how to change the American mindset.

Ignorance, Nationalism and Complacency have nearly destroyed the Government of the people, by the people, and for the people. If it wasn't for the constitution the values of our founding fathers would have been destroyed as well.

I read the story a couple of days ago. The CIA seemed to be saying, "We didn't want to torture anybody. Our internal psychologists said we shouldn't do it. But the psychologists from the APA said it was OK, so we had to."

I guess when you know you won't be held accountable in any case, you don't really have to put any real effort into a CYA campaign.

Yay, finally a thread with some substance.
Watch the reluctant co conspirators leave like
rats on a sinking ship. I wonder how long until
the dread Pirate Cheney walks the plank ?

a reply to: UnderKingsPeak

Well the CEO, deputy CEO, and the communications chief have been sacked, and that is being seen as a first wave of reforms for the organisation. I would hope that isn't the end of it though.