Psychologists accused of designing CIA ‘torture’ program to stand trial

‘Two psychologists who helped design the CIA’s post-9/11 detainee interrogation program will stand trial in September for promoting the use of torture methods.
Federal judges in Washington State late Monday ordered a lawsuit on behalf of three former detainees to go to a jury trial. They rejected efforts to force a settlement and prevent a full hearing of the case, according to AFP.
The lawsuit which was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of the ex-detainees will be the first involving the torture programs like water-boarding, starvation and chaining prisoners in extreme stress positions.
Previous efforts had been headed off by the government over the need to protect sensitive intelligence.
Psychologists James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen, who were recruited by the CIA in 2002 to design and help conduct interrogations of terror suspects captured in Afghanistan and elsewhere, were the case targets.’
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