Psyche, Science, and Society

Student Initiative Petition: Ban ALL psychologist participation in military interrogations!

September 29th, 2007

The psychology graduate student outreach initiative has created a new petition calling upon the American Psychological Association to ban all participation of psychologists in military interrogations. the Petition is very simple:

“If we lose psychologists from these facilities, people are going to die.”
-U.S. Army Col. Larry James, APA conference, August 2007

“Any interrogation system that teeters so close to atrocities needs more than a psychologist.”
-Scott Horton, “Psychologists and the Torture Question” Harpers, 8-28-07

Urge the American Psychological Association to join with the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association in banning ALL participation of its health personnel in military interrogations. Ask the APA to amend its 2007 Resolution against torture with a COMPREHENSIVE, not just SELECTIVE, ban on psychologist participation!

As noted in an email:

Although it’s a student initiative, it has been worded so that anyone, not just psychologists even, can sign it. I think it is important that we inform other groups, community and professional groups and organizations, and engage in some cross-talk about these issues; so it is worded to draw the interest of the general public.

So hurry up and sign the Petition here.

Entry Filed under: Guantanamo, Interrogation, Torture