Greenwald: Top Bush-Era Gitmo & Abu Ghraib Psychologist Is WH's Newest Appointment

[Hissyspit]

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/03/25/james/index.html

FRIDAY, MAR 25, 2011 17:26 ET
Top Bush-era GITMO and Abu Ghraib psychologist is WH's newest appointment
By Glenn Greenwald

One of the most intense scandals the field of psychology has faced over the last decade is the involvement of several of its members in enabling Bush's worldwide torture regime.  Numerous health professionals worked for the U.S. government to help understand how best to mentally degrade and break down detainees. At the center of that controversy was -- and is -- Dr. Larry James.  James, a retired Army colonel, was the Chief Psychologist at Guantanamo in 2003, at the height of the abuses at that camp, and then served in the same position at Abu Ghraib during 2004.  

Today, Dr. James circulated an excited email announcing, "with great pride," that he has now been selected to serve on the "White House Task Force entitled Enhancing the Psychological Well-Being of The Military Family."  In his new position, he will be meeting at the White House with Michelle Obama and other White House officials on Tuesday.

For his work at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, Dr. James was the subject of two formal ethics complaints in the two states where he is licensed to practice: Louisiana and Ohio.  Those complaints -- 50 pages long and full of detailed and well-documented allegations -- were filed by the International Human Rights Clinic of Harvard Law School's Human Rights Program, on behalf of veterans, mental health professionals and others.  The complaints detailed how James "was the senior psychologist of the Guantánamo BSCT, a small but influential group of mental health professionals whose job it was to advise on and participate in the interrogations, and to help create an environment designed to break down prisoners."  Specifically:

During his tenure at the prison, boys and men were threatened with rape and death for themselves and their family members; sexually, culturally, and religiously humiliated; forced naked; deprived of sleep; subjected to sensory deprivation, over-stimulation, and extreme isolation; short-shackled into stress positions for hours; and physically assaulted. The evidence indicates that abuse of this kind was systemic, that BSCT health professionals played an integral role in its planning and practice. . . .

MORE

[QC]

1. Hopetastic! n/t

[timo]

35. WINNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Charlie "I am freaked the hell out" Sheen makes more sense than this hopealicious cup of changey shite!!

[progressoid]

143. Changealicious!

[SidDithers]

169. Completely false accusation!!...nt

Sid

[Truth2Tell]

181. so why don't you refute it?

You took the trouble of posting, but included zero substance. Weird.

[SidDithers]

192. Read down the thread...

Post #158 in particular.

Sid

[FiveGoodMen]

2. And the hits just keep on coming!

[iwishiwas]

56. And coming and coming..............No end in site.

[democrank]

3. More change I can believe in

[roguevalley]

41. well, look at it like Obama. He said we would just all reflect and

like, you know, think about it and then with fortitude and a sureity brought about by a clear vision about something or other, we can all walk into the light together. You know, like he said. Let's all follow him down the primrose path to glory. Like that.

[Cherchez la Femme]

112. Kumbaiyah, mi'lord! n/t

[pocoloco]

118. Tell me about this antichrist stuff again.

I didn't listen the first time.

[Maven]

149. Heh.

Well played. :thumbsup:

[midnight armadillo]

46. It's eleven dimensional chess!

You're a Republican plant! You think DC changes with a snap of Obama's fingers! This is the best we can get so stop whining! It's better than McCain!

Did I miss any DU memes?

[Le Taz Hot]

58. Psssst.

(You forgot the pony.) ;-)

[QC]

104. And the magic wand. n/t

[_ed_]

68. You forgot to reflexively shit on Nader

and the Green Party.

[liberation]

188. To be fair, the dumps on Nader usually involve defending Gore not Obama.

Oh, and Lieberman who?

[roguevalley]

123. no. you're brilliant. ;)

[bvar22]

130. "Its ALL Joe Lieberman's fault."

:patriot:

[liberation]

187. He's not a dictator, why do you hate democracy? Also he hasn't had enough time to do stuff yet...

... except that he has done more in two weeks that all presidents before him COMBINED. Something about ponies, or was it unicorns. It is congress fault, except when congress does something which is obviously Obama's achievement. Let's use some alternative reality scenarios and speculative what ifs to point out why you're not being "realistic."

Oh, and the chess he is playing is supposed to have 12 dimensions.

[SidDithers]

172. Less belief in Greenwald would serve you better...nt

Sid

[Cleita]

4. I'm trying to put a frilly doily on this elephant in the

room. Could this fall into the class of keeping one's enemies closer? I can't think of another sane or common sense reason for it. :shrug:

[hlthe2b]

9. I've found lovely hand-made lacy doilies...

to be particularly susceptible to




















ELEPHANT DUNG. :mad:

[KoKo]

36. That is a Travesty to Put on an ELEPHANT...even if it's "In the Room."

It's appalling..to see what keeps going on in this White House. Something must be done...but What? No One seems to know what to do...except vote for him again? How can this be?

Actually it's seeming that NO One SERIOUS even wants the Job as President of the USA...given the Right Wing Crew of Idiots whom no one would vote for (and they know it) and no challenges on the Left.

What bizarre times we live in these days.

But, it's all MEDIA OWNED...and I assume they will decide if Obama has done good enough for them whether they will do the "BIG SPIN" to convince "we peasants, illiterates and the rest" to VOTE ONCE AGAIN FOR OBAMA for ANOTHER ROUND of "HOPE & CHANGE...You CAN BELIEVE IN" or we get Mitt Romney with Palin or Bachman as VP! Or, MAYBE Donald Trump will be the DARK HORSE who comes to the Rescue with NY Mayor Bloomberg as VP...or even vice-versa on that one! :puke:

[Mojorabbit]

51. It makes absolutely no sense

There have to be a gazillion wonderful mental health professionals out there. There is no reason to pick this man with this horrendous history.

[roguevalley]

124. I don't think so. this falls into the category of lack of operational

ethics. Our man is an empty suit in the categories that count. Stunning isn't it? If he had an R after his name, we wouldn't be stumbling around here. We would know. Obama is an R at heart. That is if he really has one beyond love for his family and frankly I don't see evidence of it anymore.

[cyberpj]

5. Bill Hicks:

I'll show you politics in America: 'I think the puppet on the right shares my beliefs.' 'I think the puppet on the left is more to my liking.' 'Wait, there's one guy holding up both puppets!'
-Bill Hicks

[walldude]

16. They are finally releasing the movie about him

in the states. If you get a chance to see it go.. It was amazing. He was amazing..

It's called American: The Bill Hicks Story.

[madrchsod]

18. it`s on netflix.....

[cyberpj]

20. A friend downloaded it fron the net and You're right, it's fantastic. I miss him so much.

"Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves. Heres Tom with the Weather."
— Bill Hicks

[walldude]

22. I did the same.. It came out over a year ago in England

and I got tired of waiting...

I love how they didn't shy away from his drug use, both the positive and negative effects of it. I can only imagine what he would have been like these last 10 years, he had a field day with Poppy, he would have shredded Jr... And Obama.

[cyberpj]

25. We were just talking about that.

Especially the Bush Jr. part. I said add in everything else that's been going on with iphones, apps, reality shows taking over TV, the corporate takeover plus union crushing and then all the wars and now the nuclear stuff... and I think, in his disbelief of us all, he might just have spontaneously combusted in exasperation at us all. (Cue Devil sound snorted heavily into mike.)

Thank the universe there are so many YouTube clips around to keep him close by.

[Hestia]

200. That happens to be my sig line

:)

[slay]

53. Bill Hicks was a fucking genius

[hlthe2b]

6. Just when I thought I'd fought the latest round of cynicism...

Dear Glenn beats me in the face with another round of ADMIN hypocrisy and cringe-inducing outrage. Sigh....

[PoliticAverse]

12. The beatings will continue until cynicism impoves... n/t

[JohnyCanuck]

65. Watch the documentary "Lifting the Veil",

but be prepared to get beaten in the face some more:

"Lifting the Veil is the long overdue film that powerfully, definitively, and finally exposes the deadly 21st century hypocrisy of U.S. internal and external policies, even as it imbues the viewer with a sense of urgency and an actualized hope to bring about real systemic change while there is yet time for humanity and this planet. See this film!"

Larry Pinkney
Editorial Board Member & Columnist
The Black Commentator

"Noble is brilliantly pioneering the new film-making -- incisive analysis, compelling sound and footage, fearless and independent reporting, and the aggregation of the best information out there into powerful, educational and free online feature films – all on a shoestring budget. His films educate and inform while building the movements needed for real change at the grassroots. Noble's films are dedicated to democracy; they fan the flames of non-violent, people-powered revolution."

John Stauber, Founder, PR Watch

View "Lifting the Veil" here (1hr 53min): http://metanoia-films.org/compilations.php

[dixiegrrrrl]

80. Interesting video. Thanks for that link.

:hi:

[vi5]

7. Pathetic.....

Just seriously fucking pathetic.

But sadly not surprising.

[Raksha]

8. Outrageous!!! The expert on psychological torture is going to counsel military families?

And I thought I was feeling betrayed by the Obama administration BEFORE!!!

[arcane1]

10. Oh wow, that's rich

Really? He's THE BEST GUY FOR THE JOB???

*head explodes*

[Vinnie From Indy]

11. Any more questions about how President Obama views the Bush Era of torture?

I am simply in awe of the size and scope of the bait and switch pulled on the American people by this Admin.

[dixiegrrrrl]

39. I am literally and seriously nauseated after reading this.

Honestly nauseated.
I do not see how ANYONE can not recognize the reality of this Administration.

[bvar22]

132. It started BAD on Day One, and got WORSE.

The DLC New Team

(Screen Capped from the DLC Website)


"Change"?
Hahahahahahahahahaha!




"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans."
---Paul Wellstone


"By their WORKS you will know them."
And by their WORKS they will be judged.

[originalpckelly]

13. Among the recomendations of the Colonel:

1. If your son pisses you off, be sure to strip him in front of the whole family. Make an example of him, take pictures while pointing to his genitals. You might consider placing a hood on his head and attaching wires to him, in the hopes of making him think he's about to be electrocuted. Just remember, you can't spell electrocuted without cute! And if he really ticks you off, there is always waterboarding! "Hey son, want to go waterboarding?" Your son, not knowing the horror that awaits him, will think you meant wakeboarding. You might even bring along a wakeboard just to get his hopes up, before you simulate drowning him.

2. If your wife burns the dinner, you might consider taking away all of her food, making her stand in stress positions, all while naked. Nudity is the key to really fucking with someone. You want them to think you're God. You might slap her, but only do it once, as she will anticipate further slaps and the effect of the slap will be reduced.

3. If your mother gets out of line, make her stand up for a few hours in a stress position. If this doesn't produce the desired compliance, move on to sleep deprivation. And don't forget waterboarding! Grandma's probably so old she's almost drowned before somewhere along the line, so it'll really fuck with her head.

These were real policies at those places.

[OnyxCollie]

117. When you get tired, remember to say,

"Stop wasting time with this pig."

[gratuitous]

14. I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation

Or at least a preposterous one. Any of the usual suspects going to come traipsing along to explain this latest outrage to us proles, and how we're all overreacting again? I suppose you'd rather have John McCain as president!

I can hardly wait . . .

[vi5]

23. I don't think so...

..at least not yet. I don't see a lot of "Ignored" on this thread like I do on some of these that are easier to spin.

[madrchsod]

15. my ,my, we have reached the level of the old soviet union

to think this is being done by a democratic president who is a nobel peace prize winner.

it`s one of those "what the fuck" moments.

oh yes here`s the story of those big bad soviets that were going to take over the world....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_abuse_of_psychiatry_in_the_Soviet_Union

[glinda]

26. With the Koch's running things we are part of the whole old Soviet thing.

[madrchsod]

31. yup...it sure seems that way

[montanacowboy]

17. But let's still vote Democratic

because remember "how much worse it could be"!!!!! This is the best you can get folks

This President needs primaried - I am sick and tired of this bullshit

[INdemo]

69. No..we need to start a serious draft movement to get a

real progressive to challenge him..
A serious draft Bernie Sanders movement??. Sure he has indicated he wont run but if Obama keeps proving to us that he is not the man we elected than Bernie Sanders may change his mind..

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/draft-sanders-in-2012/

[walldude]

19. Back under the bus with Greenwald!

How dare he print this!

[QC]

21. Glenn Greenwald never really loved Him!1!!!!!11!

:cry:

[Bobbie Jo]

167. yawn.

[iwishiwas]

57. Greenwald must be pretty bruised with all that kicking.

[SidDithers]

185. Especially when it's not true!...nt

Sid

[walldude]

189. Only in your little tiny mind.

Anyone who is actally following the story knows it's either James or the White House that is lying. Not Greenwald. He's printing what he's getting.


You just can't see past your anger of Greenwald and worship of Obama to see that the story is coming as Greenwald is getting it.

[SidDithers]

193. Wait. It is true? James has been appointed to a WH Task Force?...

as Greenwald reported in his original post? (The post before the update)

Sid

[tridim]

197. That's Faux's excuse too.

We just report what we "get". Not our fault!

[golddigger]

24. I hope he gets primaried.

[_ed_]

67. Me, too

But I fear the Democratic party just simply cannot produce a good candidate.

[felix_numinous]

27. W.T.F.

This establishment is drifting quickly away from all semblance of ethics, whether Mr. Obama has anything to do with it or not. How are we supposed to feel proud or safe with such an appointment?

[fascisthunter]

28. Creepy to Say the Least

[pscot]

125. +1

[enough]

29. This is really beyond belief. Disgusting. (nt)

[Angry Dragon]

30. disgusting

[Poll_Blind]

32. YOU CAN __ALWAYS__ COUNT ON OBAMA!

PB

[KoKo]

37. True...from his first days after Election until March of 2011...You CAN COUNT ON OBAMA!

Oh...my..how sad that is.

[Canuckistanian]

33. So, is this shit-stain still a practicing psychologist?

In 2003, Louisiana psychologist and retired Col. Larry James watched behind a one-way mirror in a US prison camp while an interrogator and three prison guards wrestled a screaming, near-naked man on the floor.

The prisoner had been forced into pink women's panties, lipstick and a wig; the men then pinned the prisoner to the floor in an effort "to outfit him with the matching pink nightgown." As he recounts in his memoir, "Fixing Hell," Dr. James initially chose not to respond. He "opened thermos, poured a cup of coffee, and watched the episode play out, hoping it would take a better turn and not wanting to interfere without good reason ..."

Although he claims to eventually find "good reason" to intervene, the Army colonel never reported the incident or even so much as reprimanded men who had engaged in activities that constituted war crimes.

[tcaudilllg]

59. This guy could very well be hauled before the APA. This stuff is not acceptable practice.

[MilesColtrane]

141. Apparently he's still an APA member in good standing.

Why they wouldn't at least investigate him for ethics violations, I don't know.

[suffragette]

152. Looks like CCR has been trying, but have been blocked

http://ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/louisiana-court-appeal-hears-case-guantanamo-psychologist


Louisiana Court of Appeal Hears Case on Guantanamo Psychologist

State Psychology Board Challenged over Refusal to Investigate Alleged Ethical Violations by Dr. Larry James


May 12, 2010, Baton Rouge and New York – Today, Toledo-based psychologist Dr. Trudy Bond challenged the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists’ failure to investigate alleged professional ethics violations by psychologist and retired U.S. Army colonel Dr. Larry C. James. The case centers on Dr. James’s conduct as a high-ranking psychologist and interrogations advisor for the U.S. military at Guantanamo Bay. A New Orleans native and former Louisiana State University employee, Dr. James is licensed to practice in Louisiana and Ohio, where he is now Dean of the School of Professional Psychology at Wright State University.

Attorneys argued before the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal in the case Dr. Trudy Bond v. Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists.



Disgusting he would still be allowed to practice and that he would now be appointed to this task force.

[ChadwickHenryWard]

214. He didn't intervene becuase that's part of an established interrogation regimine.

Intense humiliation is part of an attempt to destroy a detainee's identity. It's the same reason they fuck up Korans. Interrogators trained at the School of the Americas used to do it to Marxist dissidents in Latin America - they tried to get them to betray one another, like Winston betrays Julia in 1984, because solidarity is the great organizing principle of socialist movements. Attacks on identity are part of a coordinated effort to regress detainees back to infancy, whereupon they will become dependent on the interrogator and thus unable to withhold information. Also, if one's mind is permanently turned to scrambled egg, one cannot assist in one's own defense should one ever see the inside of a courtroom, which is sometimes unavoidable.

Anyway, the point is that he didn't stop them because it was his suggestion, as a psychologist, to do that shit to him. He knows what it does, and he knows what it's used for. It was his reason for being there in the first place.

[chill_wind]

34. Uhh... WHAT??

eom

[KoKo]

38. Yep...that about sums it up.. UHH WHAT! (full caps...mine.)

:eyes:

[Catherina]

40. He'll fit right in. Rec'd n/t

[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

139. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Solly Mack]

43. Uh...Uh....Uh....Uh. Well - how - special.

What a sick country.

[slipslidingaway]

44. knr nt

[Name removed]

45. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Catherina]

47. something about chess n/t

[Overseas]

48. Yikes! More news I want to believe is not happening.

With all the expertise available they chose a torture facilitator?

I guess he can help all the soldiers whose minds are damaged by the struggles of participating in torture after knowing about the Geneva Conventions and the Nuremberg trials.

[taught_me_patience]

49. This is pretty weak.

I'd like to hear some justification from supporters.

[TheKentuckian]

64. The central committee is working on the spin and will have talking points disseminated by Monday.

[Oilwellian]

50. Stunning

In your face shit.

[EFerrari]

52. That's just gross. n/t

[FlyByNight]

54. Sounds perfect!

So much for White House (president's) "ethics".

They can't find another doctor for this position? Really?

[Fuddnik]

55. You have really got to be shitting me.

Just when you think it can't get any worse........

[chill_wind]

60. To be hosted by Mrs Obama.

http://harvardhumanrights.wordpress.com/2011/03/25/former-guantanamo-psychologist-named-to-white-house-task-force-on-enhancing-the-psychological-well-being-of-the-military-family/

That delusional bubble around her must be three feet thick.

[Octafish]

61. Doc knows how to 'follow orders.'

Hope The Hague changes his attitude.

[w8liftinglady]

62. He actually is the perfect candidate for this...

how else would you torture someone and make them feel like they are doing their civic duty?

One can only watch their spouse or kid suffer so many times before they begin speaking out.A spouse holding a kid while talking about foodstamps is bad for morale,y'know.

So,the mindgames must be delegated to an expert.

[olegramps]

63. Unfortunately, just another disappointment to add to the list.

[_ed_]

66. So, which excuse will we hear this time?

It's always one of two excuses:

1) Obama is powerless / he didn't know about it / can't control every decision in the gov't

or

2) This is advanced, brilliant political calculus that we just can't possibly understand

[QC]

72. Expect lots of attacks on Greenwald. That's always the first line of defense. n/t

[Maven]

150. Just in the nick of time. See below

:eyes:

[somone]

70. I think I'm shocked

[northernlights]

71. I think i'm going to vomit. nt

[KoKo]

73. I feel I'm back in Bush-World. I wake up every morning wondering what new atrocity is next...

There's usually a new one. Bush World II.

[DefenseLawyer]

74. Mein Fuhrer, I can walk!

[Autumn]

75. You do realize it's not Obamas fault he has to appoint

people like this ? It's Nader's, Clinton's, Bush's, the Left's or anyone else's fault. The buck seems to stop 50 feet away from Obama.

Or it could be that he's appointing him to root out the torturers?:smoke:


Nah

[crim son]

76. But we're still all voting for him, right? Because we have no choice

and if we don't we're sabotaging the Democratic Party?

Fuck that. And I'm not disgruntled; I just don't like republicans.

[Name removed]

77. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ProSense]

78. Why is it that

there are no other articles confirming this?

<...>

Today, Dr. James circulated an excited email announcing, "with great pride," that he has now been selected to serve on the "White House Task Force entitled Enhancing the Psychological Well-Being of The Military Family." In his new position, he will be meeting at the White House with Michelle Obama and other White House officials on Tuesday.

<...>

Greenwald didn't even excerpt or show the e-mail. Who is it being "circulated" to?

Here is how Greenwald ends his piece:

<...>

Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, James should not be deemed guilty in the absence of a formal adjudication. But the White House's conduct in selecting him is nonetheless baffling, at best. Of all the psychologists to choose from, why would they possibly choose to honor and elevate the former chief psychologist of Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib at the height of the Bush abuses? More disturbing still, among those most damaged by detainee abuse are the service members forced to participate in it; why would the White House possibly want to put on a task force about the health of military families someone, such as Dr. James, who at the very least is directly associated with policies that so profoundly harmed numerous members of the military and their families?

This isn't exactly a powerful Task Force, but what this appointment does is have the White House -- yet again -- signal that it does not really take very seriously the Bush torture regime. On appearance grounds alone, the Obama administration should not be embracing and legitimizing the Bush-era Chief Psychologist of Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. Is there really nobody in the White House who was able to come to that realization on their own, or is this part of some twisted "reaching out" effort to show that they view bygones as bygones when it comes to the war crimes our leaders committed and whom the Obama administration continues to protect? Whatever the explanation, the symbolism here is as ugly as the mindset underlying it.

[Aerows]

79. Here's three

http://harvardhumanrights.wordpress.com/2011/03/25/former-guantanamo-psychologist-named-to-white-house-task-force-on-enhancing-the-psychological-well-being-of-the-military-family/

http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/hrp/news/complaint_bios.html

http://my.firedoglake.com/earlofhuntingdon/2011/03/26/gitmo-psychologist-larry-james-appointed-to-white-house-panel-on-the-well-being-of-the-american-military-family/

There are three other articles confirming it. I included the second one, because I assume a lawsuit being filed by a veteran against having this guy involved, then reported by Harvard Law would be an adequate source for confirmation.

[Robb]

81. Do any of them *not* cite Greenwald as the source?

Curious.

[Thunderstruck]

89. I haven't been here long, but I can already see what's going on here.

[Robb]

94. Do tell.

[Thunderstruck]

98. Nope, no thanks.

[Robb]

101. What will *you* say if it turns out Greenwald was duped?

[Thunderstruck]

103. I would say that, coming from Dr. Larry James, such a lie would not surprise me.

[Maven]

151. What will YOU say if it turns out the sky has been green all along and we're all just colorblind?!!

Misdirection FAIL

[SidDithers]

162. See post #158 below...

You were right, Greenwald was wrong. There is no appointment.

Sid

[peace frog]

82. It's in my local RW newsrag today

Obama's still trying to appease the teabaggers. Good effing luck with that.

[dixiegrrrrl]

83. Good sources. Appreciate that.

I was going to look for supporting docs, myself.

Thanks.

:hi:

[ProSense]

105. The first and

third pieces (which is an blog post at FDL) are quoting Greenwald. The second is a bio from July 2010.

I asked about confirming the current claim about the appointment.

[Name removed]

108. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[EFerrari]

85. The POS sent around an email bragging about his appointment.

[Robb]

86. ...To anyone besides Greenwald?

I'm asking around, and looking, but it's all Glenn right now. :shrug:

[Thunderstruck]

87. If Greenwald is reporting accurately, what will you say then?

[Robb]

91. I will say I'm quite surprised.

For one, I'd be a little surprised if a White House task force, which must be related to the President's recent report "Strengthening Our Military Families: Meeting America’s Commitment", is being named after just one of the report's subtopics.

[Thunderstruck]

96. So, you're more concerned about the name and origin of the task force and not

the possible appointment of a piece of shit bushie torturer to head that task force?

[Robb]

99. If this report is accurate, I'm quite concerned, and am prepared to be pissed off about it.

But I'm telling you I think it's more than a little fishy sounding. And I'm telling you that as someone who's been following this issue.

Where, for example, is the "Task Force on Increasing child care availability and quality within the Armed Forces"? That's another of the priorities in the President's report. I just can't imagine each of the subheadings in the report getting its own task force.

[Thunderstruck]

100. Ok, you've convinced me. Perhaps we should just wait for some other more official announcement.

[Rex]

155. If one other person verifies it, I will be very very mad.

But until then, I will remain open to this being a hoax. One person does not a story create.

[Thunderstruck]

170. Well fuck...here ya go...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x746626

Egg on my face. Thanks alot Glenn.

[EFerrari]

88. From the Harvard link:

"In an e-mail to colleagues and students of Wright State University, where Dr. James serves as Dean of the School of Professional Psychology, he announced “with great pride and pleasure” that he’d be attending the Task Force’s first meeting at the White House, to be hosted next Tuesday “by Mrs. Obama and her staff. “"

http://harvardhumanrights.wordpress.com/2011/03/25/former-guantanamo-psychologist-named-to-white-house-task-force-on-enhancing-the-psychological-well-being-of-the-military-family/

It doesn't say the email was sent to Glenn. Probably someone at the campus forwarded it because Glenn has been following the torture story for years.

[Robb]

93. The word you're looking for is "reportedly." Then they cite Greenwald.

If he's got the goods, good on him. But this smells funny to me.

[EFerrari]

115. Are you responding to someone else? I'm not looking for anything. n/t

[MilesColtrane]

144. That article cites James' email as saying he was “appointed by the First Lady".

If she made this appointment knowing Dr. James past, shame on her.

If she simply accepted some staffers recommendation of James without looking into his record, we need to inform her that this is unacceptable, and that she needs to disinvite James and fire the person who suggested he serve.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

[DefenseLawyer]

90. I don't think the bragging e-mail is the issue

E-mail or not, if he is appointed to a position in the government that is a matter of public record.

[Robb]

92. Indeed. And the most PR-savvy administration in history

... is set to appoint the guy at the beginning of the news cycle? With a Tuesday meeting?

Again, not saying it's impossible. But I'm not convinced Greenwald hasn't been duped just yet.

[dixiegrrrrl]

106. This might add some information....

I found this, from 2008. It is an announcement of a lecture by Larry James,
"The Neurobiological Learning Society (NLS) is proud to announce its 2008 Distinguished Speaker, Dr. Larry James, PhD, Col U. S. Army (ret) who will speak on "The Impact of War on Health Professionals"

"The U. S. Army psychologist ordered to investigate alleged prisoner abuses at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib, Dr. James will present his findings including how the abuses occurred, the effects on medical and psychological staff who for one reason or another became involved, and procedures implemented in order to prevent it from happening again."

From the way it is presented, he had nothing to do with planning the types of torture,
that the problem really was the impact of torture on the people doing it!

( for some reason, it reminds me of the way Giuliani was all over the lecture circuit on the topic of "leadership" after the elections).

The outfit promoting Larry James is also weird sounding:

The Neurobiological Learning Society is a private, incorporated, state and federally-recognized non-profit, membership-based educational society dedicated to fostering the theory, methodology, ideals and concepts of neurobiologically-based, transformative learning and instruction throughout the world.

Anyhow, take a read and see how this "feels" to you.

http://www.prlog.org/10122508-dr-larry-james-speaks-on-the-impact-of-war-on-health-professionals-thursday-23-oct-2008.html

[Robb]

109. James is probably a creep, and that's an interesting bio.

How that sheds light on the veracity of a report on an appointment to a Presidential task force, though, I don't know.

[dixiegrrrrl]

114. The veractiy of the report....let me clarity my comment:

is actually about 2 things.
Is the REPORT truthful and is the APPOINTMENT true?

1. did James send a self congratulatory email? From the piece I found, I tend to think so, because what I saw in that piece was a lot of self puffery, and which ties him in with a suspicious sounding group of people, not a group with mainstream credentials like American Psychological Association (APA).
Greenwald was reporting that James sent the email.
( Greenwald's headline that the appointment is a fact may be premature, tho)

2. Did the WH appoint him?
Unknown. As you say, no secondary sources, no affirmation from WH.

So we need to keep digging.

But James sounds like, at best, a dodgy fellow who likes to blow his own horn.

[madmax]

136. Doesn't sound like he was involved - other than

to investigate the effects of torture.


Impressive.

"Dr. James is a retired U. S. Army Colonel, currently Dean of the School of Professional Psychology at Wright State University. The former Chair of the Department of Psychology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Tripler Army Medical Center, Dr. James received a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from University of Iowa and completed his residency training in Clinical Psychology at Bethesda Naval Hospital. He has over 50 scientific publications as well as five published books including his recently released publication, "Fixing Hell: An Army Psychologist Confronts Abu Ghraib" (Warner, 2008), copies of which will be available at the lecture. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and board certified in Clinical Psychology. Dr. James was awarded the Bronze Star for his distinguished service in Iraq.

[EFerrari]

146. Oh, he was impressive all right. Hell and Dr. James

"Hell and Dr. James: When Gitmo and Abu Ghraib Come Home," by Bill Quigley and Deborah Popowski

By Bill Quigley and Deborah Popowski. October 26, 2009, CounterPunch.org

The Louisiana Board that licenses psychologists is facing a growing legal fight over torture and medical care at the infamous Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib prisons.


In 2003, Louisiana psychologist and retired colonel Larry James watched behind a one-way mirror in a U.S. prison camp while an interrogator and three prison guards wrestled a screaming near-naked man on the floor.

The prisoner had been forced into pink women’s panties, lipstick and a wig; the men then pinned the prisoner to the floor in an effort “to outfit him with the matching pink nightgown.” As he recounts in his memoir, Fixing Hell, Dr. James initially chose not to respond. He “opened thermos, poured a cup of coffee, and watched the episode play out, hoping it would take a better turn and not wanting to interfere without good reason…”

snip

Sadly, the story of Dr. James’ complicity in prisoner abuse does not end there. The New Orleans native and former LSU psychology professor admits to overseeing the detention, interrogation and health care of three boys, aged twelve to fourteen, who were disappeared to Guantanamo and held without charge or access to counsel or their families. In Fixing Hell and elsewhere, Dr. James proudly proclaims that he was in a position of authority at Guantanamo.

http://ccrjustice.org/hell-and-dr.-james%3A-when-gitmo-and-abu-ghraib-come-home

[dixiegrrrrl]

154. Just following orders, no doubt.

Man, I would have got my license ( LCSW) suspended if any patient even CLAIMED I had done anything unethical.
We and the staff
psychiatrists and psychologists would walk around in fear of that happening.

I remember the furor when the story of Dr. James' involvement in the torture program first came out, and the even more horrified response when the national governing body, the APA ( American Psychological Association) basically did nothing.

[EFerrari]

161. APA was firmly in the hands of the Pentagon.

That should have scared the hell out of anyone paying attention.

[ReggieVeggie]

122. and we all know how much of a liar Greenwald is

:crazy:

[madmax]

140. self delete

[Name removed]

120. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Hissyspit]

177. Greenwald Response this morning:

http://letters.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2011/03/25/james/permalink/0b4319075fccc8947e17f91754095fd4.html

Saturday, March 26, 2011 06:44 AM ET
harpie

We're trying to find out where Glenn got this info...why isn't anyone else reporting this...was it planted to discredit Glenn...maybe for his support of WL/Manning...am I being paranoid?

Yes. I was contacted by Harvard Law School's Human Rights program yesterday. They've been working on Dr. James and the other psychologists for several years. They received the email he circulated from several people. They gave it to me because they wanted me to be the one to write about it.

Is it possible that the people at HLS' Human Rights program just fabricated the email and fed it to me? Sure, it's possible, but unlikely in the extreme. Is it possible that several people manufactured an email from James and fed it to HLS' Human Rights program? Sure, that's possible, too. Is it possible that James sent out an email claiming that he got this appointment, but really didn't? All of that's possible. But very, very unlikely.

The same thing happened when I reported on Bradley Manning's detention conditions. And then when I wrote about the HBGary emails: how do we know this is real? how come it's not being reported on TV and in big newspapers?

It seems like even people very skeptical of large media outlets have an unwitting attitude of "I-don't-believe-it-unless-the-NYT-says-it's-true."

Someone has to be the first person to report something. In this case - as for Manning - it was me, because the people who learned of it first and understood its significance contacted me.

Ultimately, when you're reading something from the person reporting it first, you have to assess its reliability based on the person's credibility and history. I've been writing for more than 5 years and don't exactly have a history of just making things up or getting fooled. Particularly when I'm the first one to write something, I'm extra careful to make sure it's reliable and confirmed.

There's really no such thing as 100% certainty with things like this. All of the above possibilities could have happened. But you assess the reliability of what you're reporting, make sure you have a good basis that can be shown if there are questions, and then decide to report it.

There are a lot of things people tell me - a lot - that I don't end up writing about because I don't have a good, convincing basis to conclude that it's true.

If this turned out to be untrue - fabricated - I would show my basis for why I wrote it and be satisfied that any person would view it as reasonable. I saw the email; the people who gave it to me are reliable, identifiable and established; and they put their names on what they told me.

All of those factors convinced me there was more than a reasonable enough basis to conclude this was true.

—GlennGreenwald
Read GlennGreenwald's other letters
Permalink

[Robb]

190. Thanks for posting this, also very interesting.

I think Greenwald needs an editor, or at least a partner.

[rhett o rick]

203. So you are accusing Green wald of lying about the existence of the email?

This smells of Karl Rove.

[tpsbmam]

84. I'm curious....if people want to see the President primaried, what was your tipping

point? Mine was quite a ways back. I think if I hadn't gotten there before, this on top of everything else would be my tipping point. I'm running out of words to describe how I feel: revolted, appalled, repulsed, embarrassed, irate, desolate....hell, if one existed, I'd go for a moderate fucking Republican at this point. Okay, not really but damn...Obama has to get primaried before he finishes completely submerging us in neocon/neodem hell.

:grr: :grr: :grr:

[krabigirl]

107. I am with you..it was quite a ways back for me as well.

[BlueIris]

95. This is just...awful.

I have no words.

[Hubert Flottz]

97. Did Jeb BushCo turn him into a total Moonatic down in Florida?

Crowd Control 101? Looking ahead to the day when he's looking at mass protests in the USA, like the middle eastern despots are seeing in their domains right now?

[Lasher]

147. Maybe Jeb pulled a switch like it was The Invasion of the President Snatchers.

Or something.

[rhett o rick]

206. It happened before the inauguration. nm

[hulka38]

102. Dude, where's my President?

This is not the guy I helped elect.

[suegeo]

110. This is a bad appointment

There has to be someone with a healthy mind and positive outlook to appoint instead.

[Cherchez la Femme]

111. Oh, and you'd rather have President McCain

& VP Sarah Palin then? :sarcasm:


I'm starting to think that Yes, we *would* perhaps have been better off, because if all these many Presidential decisions came from them,

there would be no end to the hue and cry against them

:puke: :puke: :puke:

[LWolf]

137. Excellent point. nt

[tpsbmam]

145. And maybe the Dem majority would have actually acted like a DEM MAJORITY! nt

[ChadwickHenryWard]

113. I voted for Obama for only one reason.

I didn't believe he would be a "fierce advocate" for gays, labor, the environment, or any other progressive causes. I knew that his earliest supporters were the big banks, and he was awash in corporate money. I didn't expect great things from him: his time in the Senate was a breathtakingly unremarkable 2/3 of a term.

I expected only one thing: seeing as he had taught Constitutional Law at Harvard, I thought there was no possible way he could continue the abuses of the Bush administration and their attack on civil liberties. But he has, almost without exception, continued the illegal abuses of the Bush administration, and even expanded some; he has certainly continued the push to expand executive power.

But this is fucking ridiculous. The abuses are coming so fast now it's getting hard to keep up. He eliminated waterboarding, but all of the other abusive interrogation techniques aimed at causing regression in detainees have continued, and are now even being used on a US Soldier, something Bush never did. And now the man in charge of overseeing torture at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib is being enlisted to oversee the mental health of American military personnel? What an Orwellian nightmare.

Jesus, I'd feel guilty if I actually believed voted did anything.

[Poll_Blind]

116. And when he's out of office he's going to try to get ya to pay $26.99 to buy his...

...memoirs of his time in the Oval office with, as he makes the interview circuit, the promise of explaining "What went wrong?!".

On top of all your other points, which I sadly agree with, I thought I'd include that eventuality.

PB

[rug]

119. Here the 55 page complaint about Dr. James and Guantanamo.

http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/hrp/documents/Larry_James_6492.pdf

[Raksha]

135. I just read and saved the complaint. The message from the Obama administration:

They have gone beyond merely turning a blind eye to the Bush torture policies under the lame meme of "putting it behind us." This is the official seal of approval and as such, it is a slap in the face of the Geneva Conventions and the American people. Obama has just informed us that America is now Nazi Germany. I don't see what other explanation is possible.

[jwirr]

121. My God what is wrong with Obama? We have had enough of the

torture and abuse that we are rapidly becoming known for around the world. This is NOT change.

[whistler162]

204. He has a bunch of "reporters" after him who know they

can sucker people with a alleged truth every time!

[defendandprotect]

126. Yep -- the "pay off" for his filthy work -- and Obama is activating it -- !!

[NCarolinawoman]

127. Moral compass broken, stands for nothing, no shame.

:grr: :cry:

[Citizen Worker]

128. President Obama now has his very own Dr. Mengele.

[WinkyDink]

129. It's almost at the point of gallows humor.

[MoonRiver]

131. WHY???

Why is he blowing his political capital away like it's a bit of dust?

[JohnyCanuck]

134. Maybe he is "just following orders"....

like everyone else in the chain of command.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

133. At Nuremburg guys like him were appointed to the gallows.

"White House Task Force entitled Enhancing the Psychological Well-Being of The Military Family." Will that include waterboarding of recalcitrant children and wives?

[MilesColtrane]

138. deleted...someone has already posted the IHRC link

[Name removed]

142. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[grahamhgreen]

148. Funny, he seemed like a nice guy when i voted for him.

[Enthusiast]

153. Obama is

palling around with Republicans. Apparently he doesn't know any qualified Democrats.

[proReality]

156. Uh

Uh

Uh

Either find a real Progressive or I'm voting for my neighbor's dog in 2012.

[geckosfeet]

157. Gag me with an industrial sized backhoe.

[emcguffie]

158. Thank God, it's no longer true. A mistake was made -- by someone.

According to an update, the White House says this fellow wasn't invited to participate in anything. That he was possibly invited by the organizations involved.

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/03/25/james/index.html

The White House, however, now tells a much different story. In an email to me from the First Lady’s Communications Director, the White House claims:

Several members of the White House staff are convening a meeting with multiple mental health professionals on Tuesday to discuss issues pertaining to the wellness of military families. SAMHSA and the American Psychological Association have both been asked to attend. We understand that Dr. James is involved with these groups and may have been indirectly invited to attend this meeting.

She claims, however, that he now will not be at that meeting, and further states that "Dr. James has not been appointed to serve in any capacity with the White House."

There’s obviously quite a discrepancy between the claims in the James email as provided by HLS' Human Rights Project and the White House’s claims. Calls to Dr. James regarding this matter have not been returned, but if I speak with him, I’ll post his response to the White House's denials.

So, either it was a genuine mistake, or the White House changed its mind.

That's good news, either way, although I certainly hope the mistake was made by the professional organizations.

[SidDithers]

160. Interesting...

thanks for the update.

Sid

[Hissyspit]

179. Could someone be bothered to post the whole update?

Four original paragraphs by Greenwald. It does not violate DU copyright rules.

UPDATE: Here is the full text of the email sent by Dr. James, as provided to me yesterday by Harvard Law School’s Human Rights Program:

Message from Dean James for the SOPP Community:

Hello Everyone,

It is with great pride and pleasure that I write to the SOPP community and say that I have been appointed by the First Lady to a White House Task Force entitled Enhancing the Psychological Well-Being of The Military Family.

The first meeting will be at the White House next Tuesday (the 29th) and will be hosted by Mrs. Obama and her staff. Indeed, I feel honored and privileged to represent the SOPP, WSU and the APA in this important endeavor.

Next week I will provide a follow-up e-mail to provide more information.

All the best,

Larry C. James, Ph.D., ABPP
Dean & Professor
School of Professional Psychology
Wright State University
3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy
Dayton, Ohio 45435-001
Phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx

On its own website, HLS’s Human Rights Program reported that James sent this email "to colleagues and students of Wright State University, where Dr. James serves as Dean of the School of Professional Psychology.”

The White House, however, now tells a much different story. In an email to me from the First Lady’s Communications Director, the White House claims:

Several members of the White House staff are convening a meeting with multiple mental health professionals on Tuesday to discuss issues pertaining to the wellness of military families. SAMHSA and the American Psychological Association have both been asked to attend. We understand that Dr. James is involved with these groups and may have been indirectly invited to attend this meeting.

She claims, however, that he now will not be at that meeting, and further states that "Dr. James has not been appointed to serve in any capacity with the White House."

There’s obviously quite a discrepancy between the claims in the James email as provided by HLS' Human Rights Project and the White House’s claims. Calls to Dr. James regarding this matter have not been returned, but if I speak with him, I’ll post his response to the White House's denials.

[Robb]

186. So Greenwald didn't get a second source before running with the story.

Well, I don't exactly blame him. The temptation to be first with a big big scoop must've been overwhelming, from his perspective.

[EFerrari]

163. Or this was James padding his involvement.

That would be no surprise.

[whistler162]

205. Yup and Lucy moved the football by mistake everytime....

[Zorra]

159. We bought it, We had to have something, and this was our only option.

We knew we couldn't get our money back if it didn't work when we bought it.

It never really seemed to be the appropriate item to use to get the job done. It appeared to have many of the necessary qualities to get the job done on the surface, but packaging and labels can be deceptive.

Now we're stuck with it. There will be no other items on the shelf (they're backordered, I'm afraid) that will be appropriate for getting the job done until 2016.

We're stuck with it.

But let's not sink into the despair of buyer's remorse.

We had no choice. We had to buy it, and now we have to do the best we can with the tools we have.

We have no other feasible choice.

[SidDithers]

164. Unrec for completely and totally incorrect information from Greenwald...nt

Sid

[Name removed]

173. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[geek tragedy]

165. Unrec for yet another untrue Greenwald accusation. nt

[SidDithers]

166. And, as is typical at DU, "A lie gets halfway around the world...

before the truth has a chance to get its pants on" - Winston Churchill

Sid

[Name removed]

174. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[russspeakeasy]

168. It makes as much sense as Geitner..None.

[SidDithers]

171. It doesn't make any sense because it's not true...nt

Sid

[DeSwiss]

175. K&R n/t

[SidDithers]

176. Really?...

even after Greenwald updates his post, confirming there has been no White House appointment, you think the incorrect OP is worthy of a K&R?

Sid

[DeSwiss]

178. No, Sid.....

...I hadn't seen that. Thanks for the heads-up.

You can use my K&R for your comment: "Brussel sprouts suck ass."



on edit - Now that I've had a chance to read the update, I'm not so sure. Michelle may be planning to use this guy to show her how to use torture and make us eat Brussel sprouts! :D

[SidDithers]

180. Got that from a vegetarian / meat eaters thread last week...

I think credit should go to Arkana. It struck me as pretty hilarious :hi:

Sid

[Lone_Star_Dem]

182. As it turns out, I think Greenwald was played by Dr. Larry James

Think about it. This is the same man behind the book "Fixing Hell:" An Army Psychologist Confronts Abu Ghraib. He's a master of psychological manipulation. He knew what type of reaction his announcement would have.

[rhett o rick]

202. That might explain why Dr. Torture was running around showing the email to everyone. Just sayin. nm

[Downwinder]

183. Here come the Stepford wives.

[SidDithers]

184. The ones that believe anything Greenwald posts?...nt

Sid

[tridim]

191. Why hasn't this OP been deleted yet?

I can only unrec once and that's not going to do it.

The whole thread is bullshit.

[SidDithers]

195. Agreed...nt

Sid

[Lone_Star_Dem]

196. I don't see why it should be deleted

It's interesting to read. It was reported by Greenwald and then retracted.

If nothing else, it's a case study of how easy it is for us to let our personal feelings cloud our ability to think critically. Which is a human flaw we should all be aware we posses. :shrug:

What I found fascinating was how the retraction thread was unrec'd to the point of death and yet this one was still garnering recs galore. I'm not sure if was due to personal issues between members or if it had something to do with Greenwald being the author, or if people just read a headline and don't bother to click on a link?

Edit: for bad eyes and small fonts.

[girl gone mad]

198. Seems more like the WH was hoping this would fly under the radar..

but when the word spread, major donors got pissed and they had to retract the appointment.

[tridim]

199. Yea, I can make up shit too.

Good work.

Mods, please delete this OP. Please!

[rhett o rick]

208. So you think Greewald made it all up? If so the more the reason to discuss it.

But you are for censorship and want to delete the OP in spite of the 145 rec's. Not very democratic.

[mythology]

210. Because the story was inaccurate and it's past the available editing time.

All this thread does is show how so many are willing to leap at the opportunity to bash the Obama administration based on rumors, gossip and falsehoods.

It should at best serve as a cautionary tale that leaping to conclusions without more information is generally a bad idea.

[rhett o rick]

218. The story was accurate. Greenwald saw the email. Looks like he may have been duped.

Not unexpected. I expected to see lots of dirty tricks from now until 2012. And this would be a significant story if someone has started the dirty tricks. Or maybe you think Greenwald is lying. Again a big story.

And the story isnt that hard to believe for us that arent in denial that Pres Obama is our savior. Pres Obama refuses to prosecute our war criminals. He wont repeal the Patriot Act or the MCA. It appears he is allowing the torture of Manning. He has been appointing Bush guys and corporate CEO's like crazy. So why wouldnt this be believable?

[rhett o rick]

207. Scary attitude there. This is important. Someone is manipulating someone and you want to cover it

all up. Not surprised. If you dont like the thread, LEAVE. Dont try to censor it.

People that get off on unrec's remind me of Joe McCarthy.

[hwmnbn]

It's not true... Dr. James is NOT part of this admin....

[hwmnbn]

194. It's not true... Dr. James is NOT part of this admin....

[JoePhilly]

201. Shame no such appointment was made. Such a waste of a good rant thread.

[rhett o rick]

209. Reminds me of the Dan Rather set up. Where's Karl? nm

[Robb]

211. Believe it or not, I had precisely this thought. (nt)

[rhett o rick]

217. I believe the level of dirty tricks this coming election will be unprecedented. nm

[Jefferson23]

212. So what happened, the doctor mis-stated his invitation?? The WH

doesn't seem to want to have anything to do with this guy...maybe then, but not now, hmmm. I'll give the WH the benefit
of the doubt for now.

I hope Dr. James speaks up, soon.

More on the good doctor:

SNIP* Under James’ tenure, Guantanamo developed and implemented the Camp Delta “Behavioral Management Plan.” The Plan called for treating new detainees in a way that would “enhance and exploit disorientation and disorganization.” How was this accomplished? Prolonged periods of solitary confinement that are known to cause hallucinations, extreme anxiety, muscular atrophy, weight loss, and other physical conditions that may be irreversible, according to the Center.

While James has denied responsibility, his critics have charged that he used his access to confidential medical records of detainees to target their “physical and mental vulnerabilities.”

At the recent August American Psychological Association (APA) conference in Toronto, the Canadian Centre for International Justice (CCIJ) handed out fliers with the headline: “Department of Defense Ensures Psychologists’ Collusion in Torture.” Larry James was singled out as one of the psychologists in question.

Both the CCIJ and the CCR called upon the Minister of Public Safety in Canada, Peter Van Loan, to investigate James’ for possible war crimes. They included an 8-page Appendix extensively foot-noted including numerous references to admissions from James’ book, “Fixing Hell.”

The Appendix points out that while James frequently claimed he was reforming things, his actual accounts show he either turned a blind eye to torture, or may have facilitated it.

On page 50-51 of “Fixing Hell,” James writes the following:

“I saw Luther and three MPs wrestling with a detainee on the floor. It was an awful sight. I wanted to run back to my room and wash my eyes with bleach. The detainee was naked except for the pink panties I had seen hanging on the door earlier. He also had lipstick and a wig on. The four men were holding the prisoner down and trying to outfit him with the matching pink nightgown, but he was fighting hard. My first instinct was to rush in and start barking orders at the men, demanding they stop this ridiculous and abusive wrestling match. But I managed to quell that urge and wait.”

James admitted he went to have a cup of coffee and then intervened to urge the interrogators to build better relations with the man being tortured. James writes: “I never once said anything about the lingerie or interrogation. My purpose was to build a relationship with Luther, rather than to attack him as being wrong or as a human being.”

Hell hath been fixed.

When another prisoner was being abused by large MPs screaming in his face for three hours straight, James once again “fixed” hell by suggesting they might want to offer him a drink or a bathroom break.

While James was at Gitmo and Abu Ghraib, court records and affidavits indicate that prisoners were not only isolated, but their sleep cycles were deliberately disturbed, they were exposed to extremely hot and cold temperatures, forced to smell unpleasant odors and subject to “dietary manipulations.”

But what does that mean in practical terms? Allegations by one detainee claim that he went for 3-4 weeks without any solid food, living on Ensure and water. Reports by six other high-value detainees allege they were subject to the same liquid diets.

According to the Red Cross report, there was also the use of “prolonged diapering” to force the detainees to urinate and defecate on themselves. They were deprived of using a toilet. Six high-value detainees reported being repeatedly slammed against walls 20-30 times consecutively as an interrogation technique.

If James had the urge to go in and “bark orders” when confronting torture, he most likely had command authority over the torturers at Gitmo. Remember that the standard definition for torture is the deliberate infliction of physical or mental distress on detainees.

Under Canadian law, it is a war crime if any military personnel are found to be “committing outrages upon personal dignity, in

http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2009/10/18/why-wright-state-is-wrong-the-controversial-appointment-of-dr-larry-james-by-bob-fitrakis/

[blackspade]

213. Not exactly what I voted for......

I had 'hope' that Obama would take out the trash, but it appears that he is a hoarder.

[tammywammy]

215. He wasn't appointed to anything n/t

[blackspade]

216. You obviously missed the point

but, what ever.

[pam4water]

219. WTF