Psychological warfare

Posted By Ben Fryer Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 4:50 PM Share

It's not too often that psychologists makes headlines in the war on terror, but the American Psychological Association better think up a press strategy of its own - and soon. As Salon.com reports, the 150,000-strong professional organization will likely face a noisy internal revolt next month at its annual meeting in New Orleans, where outraged members of the organization plan to make a clamor over APA guidelines that condone members' participation in Guantanamo-style interrogations of terror suspects.

The controversy over the year-old guidelines is certain to grow with the revelation that six of the 10 psychologists who drafted the guidelines apparently have ties to the military. Some APA members are crying foul, claiming that the drafters' military positions led them to compromise their commitments as psychologists, whose job it is to heal people, not help inflict trauma. It's sure to be an interesting fight.

EXPLORE:NORTH AMERICA, BUSH ADMINISTRATION, INTELLIGENCE, MILITARY, POLITICS, TERRORISM

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