Dear Colleagues,
There has been much written about the issue of psychologists'
involvement in destructive interrogations. For those interested, I
would recommend that individuals look at the following sites:
2006 APA Resolution Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment
http://www.webster.edu/peacepsychology/2006ResolutionTorture.html
More information including the Justification Statement and FAQ page can
be found at http://www.peacepsych.org - scroll down and these are on the
right hand side of the page.
Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence (Div. 48)
Executive Committee Call for an APA Moratorium Resolution
http://www.webster.edu/peacepsychology/2007Moratorium/MoratoriumStatement07.html
An Open Letter to Dr. Sharon Brehm, President of the APA
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/BrehmLetter/
Department of Defense Report - Review of DoD-Directed Investigations of
Detainee Abuse
http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/dod/abuse.pdf
Individuals who want more info can write me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] (I'm
in the middle of finishing a project so there may be a short delay in
responding). In the meantime, I copy below what I wrote to the Divisions
for Social Justice listserv:
For me, this whole issue points to the necessity of a moratorium, not
simply to protect psychologists and prisoners within the limited
interrogation context, but because of the inherently destructive nature
of the environment in which prisoners are currently detained. It is
harmful to all involved and represents a stain on humanity. As Ed
Tejirian so aptly noted, the entire setting at Guantanamo Bay represents
a violation of human rights. It is inherently cruel, inhuman or
degrading. This position, of course, does not represent just personal
opinion but rather the position of organizations such as the United
Nations and the International Red Cross.
I am always reticent to make Holocaust analogies and think that they are
used much too loosely to provide "moral authority" to individual's
arguments. Nonetheless, in this case some analogies can be made.
Doctors actions were at the core of the Holocaust (Lawyers passed the
laws; doctors made it happen). The concentration camps were viewed as a
form of quarantine and the death camps were overseen by physicians as
the "selections" (natural selection replaced with a human agency) were
viewed as medical procedure in the pursuit of racial hygiene (eugenics)
- removing the tumor from the body of Germany. Physicians were also
intimately involved in a host of medical experiments concerning genetic
issues, experiments related to the war efforts, and biochemical warfare
concerns. Okay, I digress but the Holocaust is one of my primary areas
of research and teaching.
Clearly, Guantanamo Bay does not resemble the death camps but rather
more closely resembles various concentration camps particularly in
Germany for predominately non-Jews and non-Roma/Sinti. Individuals
housed in these camps were largely detained as enemies of the state
(e.g., Jehovah's Witnesses, political prisoners, etc.). These camps were
sites of gross human rights abuses and many United Nations human rights
documents, conventions, and instruments were written directly in
response to the actions of the Nazis. These are the same U.N. documents
being cited today in response to human rights violations at Guantanamo
Bay, Abu Ghraib, and other detainee detention sites.
Were there Nazis (e.g., SS officers, guards, doctors) who faced trial
following WWII? Obviously, the answer is "yes." Indeed, there were SS
including doctors from the infamous Nuremberg Doctors trial who were
found NOT guilty. Prisoners provided testimony in support of these
individuals. If one reads survivor writings or speaks with Holocaust
survivors, they periodically talk about guards or SS officers that
demonstrated charity, caring, and kindness. These Nazis may have
represented the exceptions but humanity was not totally absent in the
camps. Regardless, even if these Nazis were found not guilty at an
international tribunal, their lives were forever tainted by association
with these camps. Oskar Schindler lived most of his life following the
war in poverty and supported by those who he rescued. While he rescued
hundreds, he was still viewed by most as "a Nazi" during his lifetime.
Our colleagues in the military have been placed in an untenable
position. I fully appreciate those who are working to insure that
interrogations are safe and humane. Unfortunately, within a situation
such as Guantanamo Bay, I fear they, at best, are treading water. They
do not have the power to reform a broad, destructive context.
Unfortunately, much like those historically who found themselves in
situations of human rights abuses, individuals working at Guantanamo
Bay, previously at Abu Ghraib, or other detention sites are marked
simply by association regardless of their individual actions.
Additionally, I fear that psychology, much like medicine in
Nazi-occupied Europe, will historically be linked with gross human
rights violations due to our support of detention sites such as
Guantanamo Bay.
I personally support Division 48's (Society for the Study of Peace,
Conflict, and Violence) call for a Moratorium
(http://www.webster.edu/peacepsychology/2007Moratorium/MoratoriumStatement07.html)
and hope that efforts within Council are such that an APA Moratorium
Resolution can be approved. Regardless, of the outcome, the words of
Elie Wiesel resonate: "There may be a time when we are powerless to
prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest."
To Peace,
Linda
Christopher D. Green wrote:
More from Salon (via Mind Hacks) on psychologists and torture.
http://www.mindhacks.com/blog/2007/07/psychologists_accuse.html
Chris
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--
Linda M. Woolf, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology and International Human Rights
Past-President, Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, & Violence
(Div. 48, APA) <http://www.peacepsych.org>
Steering Committee, Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PsySR)
<http://www.psysr.org>
Secretary, Raphael Lemkin Award Committee, Institute for the Study of
Genocide <http://www.isg-iags.org/>
Coordinator - Holocaust & Genocide Studies
Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights
Webster University
470 East Lockwood
St. Louis, MO 63119
Main Webpage: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's (and woman's) best friend. . . .
Inside a dog, it's too dark to read."
- Groucho Marx
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