As any regular reader knows, I’m not one who condemns Obama blindly in a knee-jerk reaction. Where there is doubt, I tend to give him it’s benefit. When he does something right, I credit him for it. However, when he is wrong, I don’t sugar coat it. I say so. The appointment of Dr. Larry James to any government post is wrong, and more than that, it sends the world the worst possible message about who we are as a country.
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.”… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Salon>
I believe that nobody is irredeemable. I would not object to this appointment had James taken responsibility for his crimes, made amends where possible, and done whatever it takes to change predator to decent human being. In the absense of any evidence that he has done so.
Therefore, for Obama to appoint this man tells the world that the torture committed at the GOP Gitmo Gulag does not matter to our shame.
It looks like I spoke too soon and gave you some bad info. I did source check Salon’s article, which was later corrected too, and found the story at other reputable sources, but all were apparently based on a false claim by that Republican torturer, Larry James. His dinner invitation is based solely on military service and American Psychology Association membership, and has been appointed to no post in the Obama Administration. Please see comment #3 for details. Thanks Nameless! I do apologize. When I’m wrong, I say so. In that way, you know that I am not a Republican pundit.
10 Responses to “This Appointment Is Wrong!”
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This is perhaps Obama’s biggest mistake. What in hell’s name was he thinking?
Apparently he wasn’t thinking anything. See Nameless’ comment.
This man is a snake in a suit– AKA – antisocial — In my opinion- The ethics of a snake – the charges in LA and Ohio are as serious as charges can be–
Not only what is Obama thinking- but Who is he listening too ? that seems a pretty interesting question.
Phyllis, please see the update and Nameless’ comment.
Looks like James may have been a bit delusional in his claim. Greenwald updates his own Salon entry to include the most recent White House response:
Source is the same as you provided – just an update; and emphasis is in original
Whew! Let’s HOPE he was jumping the gun a bit!
Amen!
Thanks, Nameless. I confirmed the damn thing, through multiple attribution, but was wrong anyway. I don’t always agree with Greenwald, but this is the first time I’ve seen him screw the pooch on his facts.
The fault still lies with Uncle Tom Obama, lapdog to the CIA. Where is the prosecution, where is at least the ethics review, I could not imagine sitting down and eating dinner with a person who so perverted his profession in such a despicable manner. At the very least sitting down at the table with this perversion of a psychologist would mean he would end up wearing my meal, preferably the hottest food I could order and I know that would be wrong and two wrongs do not make a right but there are limits where respectability departs for justice and moral decency.
Robert, racial slurs are not welcome here. If you want to be a bigot, go play with Republicans. This is your last warning, and your comments will be monitored in future.