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American Psychological Association to Review Role in Torture of U.S. Prisoners

HeadlineNov 14, 2014

The American Psychological Association is launching a review to determine whether it colluded with torture carried out by the U.S. government. Psychologists played a key role in the George W. Bush administration’s torture and interrogation program, helping to develop techniques and monitor sessions. The new probe was prompted by revelations in the new book, “Pay Any Price: Greed, Power, and Endless War,” by Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times investigative reporter James Risen. Risen reveals how after the Abu Ghraib torture scandal, the APA formed a task force that backed the continued role of psychologists in the torture program. One APA official wrote an email expressing gratitude to an intelligence official for influencing the decision, saying: “Your views were well represented by the very carefully selected task force members.”

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