By Kenneth J. Theisen
According to his own statements, Dr. James played a key role in both the policy and day-to-day operations of interrogations and detention at both prison camps. Publicly-available information shows that while Dr. James was at Gitmo, abuse in interrogations was wide-spread, and cruel and inhuman treatment was official policy.
Allegations of abuse of prisoners during Dr. James’s January to May 2003 Guantanamo deployment include beatings, religious and sexual humiliation, rape threats, and painful body and stress positions – all violations of domestic and international law. Canadian citizen Omar Khadr, who is still imprisoned in Guantanamo, is just one of the many detainees who alleged brutal treatment in the spring of 2003, when he was only 16 years old. Dr. James was later stationed in Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison in 2004 and returned to Guantanamo in 2007. In 2008, he was appointed Dean of the School of Professional Psychology at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Is this the type of person who should be in charge of teaching other psychologists?
In February 2008 Dr. Bond, in compliance with her ethical obligation to report abuse by other psychologists, filed a complaint against Dr. James before the Louisiana Board, the agency that issued and currently regulates Dr. James’ psychology license. She called on the Board to investigate whether action should be taken against Dr. James. In her complaint Dr. Bond alleged that Dr. James breached professional ethics by violating psychologists’ duties to do no harm, to protect confidential information, and to obtain informed consent of patients.
As Chief Psychologist of the Joint Intelligence Group and a senior member of the Behavioral Science Consultation Team (BSCT) at Guantanamo, Dr. James had access to the confidential medical records of people he was charged with exploiting for intelligence. According to former Guantanamo interrogators, BSCTs used information from patients’ records to help interrogators increase the patients’ psychological duress, including by exploiting their fears. The very purpose of these mental health professional teams, the interrogators said, was to help “break” the prisoners. Dr. James denies that claim, but an extensive government paper trail supports the interrogators’ accounts.
Despite this evidence, the Louisiana Board summarily refused to investigate Dr. Bond’s complaint, claiming that the statute of limitations had run, despite conclusive information to the contrary. Dr. Bond then filed suit against the Board in Louisiana’s 19th Judicial District Court, which in July 2009 dismissed her case without reviewing the merits. The latest legal brief before the First Circuit Court asserts that the District Court should have reviewed the Board’s clearly incorrect decision.
Dr. Bond stated, “The five psychologists on the Louisiana Board were given plenty of credible evidence, but they chose not to investigate the head intelligence psychologist of prison camps notorious for their use of psychological torture. I don’t think Louisiana lawmakers intended to give five fellow professionals total, unchecked power to make arbitrary decisions that deeply affect the public welfare.”
Center for Constitutional Rights Cooperating Attorney Deborah Popowski said, “The Louisiana Board is fighting awfully hard to turn a blind eye to serious allegations of abuse. We wish the Board would devote its resources to investigating unethical conduct instead. Everyone, including the people of Louisiana, would be better served.”
For more information on the involvement of health professionals in torture and abuse visit the Center for Constitutional Rights website.