Democracy Now! 8-20 American Psychological Association Rejects Blanket Ban on Participation in Interrogation of U.S. Detainees

TODAY'S DEMOCRACY NOW!:
With Amy Goodman

* 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 *

- Dems: Wiretap Approval Could Grant Bush Extra Powers
- Rove Steered Agencies, Appointees for GOP Election Win
- Provincial Governor Killed in Iraq
- Hurricane Dean Toll at 8
- German Aid Worker Freed in Afghanistan
- Texas Man Faces Execution for Another¹s Crime
- Study: Iraq War Media Coverage on Decline
- Immigration Activist Arrested, Deported

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/20/1627254