[News] SF Protest Psychologist Participation in U.S. Torture: 8/18/07, Moscone Center

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Friends and fellow-activists,

Please join Act Against Torture in demanding that psychologists refuse to
participate in torture sponsored and performed by the U.S. government.

The American Psychological Association (APA) is holding its annual
convention in San Francisco this month, at Moscone Center.  Act Against
Torture will be there to register our outrage and opposition that this
professional organization sanctions its members' design of and
participation in torture programs executed by the U.S. government.

Background:  Two U.S. psychologists developed interrogation techniques
used by the C.I.A. at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, and "black site" prisons
around the world.  In July 2005, an A.P.A. task force "ruled that
psychologists could assist in military interrogations, despite angry
objections from many in the profession. The task force also determined
that, in cases where international human-rights law conflicts with U.S.
law, psychologists could defer to the much looser U.S. standards - what
[psychologist Jean Maria] Arrigo called the "Rumsfeld definition" of
humane treatment." [from "Rorschach and Awe," Katherine Eban, _Vanity
Fair_, 07/17/07].  (Links to this and other articles that describe the
connection between the APA and torture are included below.)

Join us for our main event:

   +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
   Guerilla Theatre and Leafletting of APA Conference Attendees

   --------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Saturday 18 Aug, 11:30 am at Moscone Center, San Francisco
   --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   * Assemble at at the corner of Howard and 4th St. at 11:30 am
   * At noon, we'll move to the action location, to be determined that
morning; please
    be sure to get there before noon so you can find us!
   * In addition to wearing our usual jump suits and bringing out
     the Guantanamo cage, we'll portray "psychologists"
     in white coats assisting U.S. military personnel in conducting torture
interrogations.
   * The action is expected to last until about 1pm.  Other groups may be
conducting parallel
     actions simultaneously on the Moscone Center site.
   +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Act Against Torture will also attend a rally called by "Ethical APA" on
Friday 17 Aug, 4pm to 5:30 pm, at the "Stone Stage" in the Yerba Buena
Gardens (access from 3rd Street between Mission and Howard).  We'll be
wearing our orange AAT t-shirts, but will respect the organizers' request
that we NOT wear jumpsuits, bring our cage, etc. at that event.  See
http://www.ethicalapa.com for more information about the Ethical APA
organization and the planned rally.

See you there...

- Act Against Torture
   http://www.ActAgainstTorture.org


P.S.  Here are links to some articles that describe the link between the
APA and torture:

* "The Black Sites: A rare look inside the C.I.A.'s secret interrogation
program," Jane Mayer, _The New Yorker_, 08/13/07.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/08/13/070813fa_fact_mayer

* "Rorschach and Awe," Katherine Eban, _Vanity Fair_, 07/17/07.
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/07/torture200707

* "The CIA's Torture Teachers: Psychologists helped the CIA exploit a
secret military program to develop brutal interrogation tactics -- likely
with the approval of the Bush White House," Mark Benjamin, _Salon_,
06/21/07. http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/06/21/cia_sere/

* "Shrinks and the SERE Techniques at Guantanamo," Stephen Soldz, _Salon_,
05/29/07. http://www.counterpunch.org/soldz05292007.html



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