Bruce Jessen

Jessen attended then-Ricks College, now Brigham Young University-Idaho in Rexburg, Idaho. He graduated cum laude from Utah State University in 1974, where he majored in psychology. He earned his PhD in psychology, with an emphasis in professional-scientific psychology, from Utah State University in 1979. During that time he was commissioned in the Air Force and completed an internship in clinical psychology at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.{{cite web |last1=Hagadone |first1=Zach |title=The Silent Partner: How an eastern Idaho farm boy became a contract torturer. |url=https://www.cityweekly.net/utah/the-silent-partner/Content?oid=2860760 |date=June 17, 2015 |website=Salt Lake City Weekly |access-date=22 January 2020}}

A United States Air Force retiree, Jessen, along with James Mitchell, was hired in 2002 by the Central Intelligence Agency to design the so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques" program.{{cite news |first= Scott|last= Shane|title=Interrogation Inc. - 2 U.S. Architects of Harsh Tactics in 9/11's Wake |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/12/us/12psychs.html?em |work=The New York Times |date=August 11, 2009 |access-date=August 12, 2009 }}{{Cite web |url=http://armed-services.senate.gov/Publications/Detainee%20Report%20Final_April%2022%202009.pdf |title=Report of the Committee on Armed Services United States Senate – Inquiry into the Treatment of Detainees in U.S. Custody April 22, 2009 |access-date=March 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429200942/http://armed-services.senate.gov/Publications/Detainee%20Report%20Final_April%2022%202009.pdf |archive-date=April 29, 2009 |url-status=dead}} The objectives of the program were not merely to obtain intelligence, but to also break down detainees in order to get them to be compliant and submissive to authority.{{cite web|url=https://truthout.org/articles/exclusive-cia-psychologists-notes-reveal-true-purpose-behind-bushs-torture-program/ |title=EXCLUSIVE: CIA Psychologist's Notes Reveal True Purpose Behind Bush's Torture Program |access-date=May 20, 2021 |url-status=live |work=Truthout |first1=Jason |last1=Leopold |first2=Jeffrey |last2=Kaye |date=March 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405125430/https://truthout.org/articles/exclusive-cia-psychologists-notes-reveal-true-purpose-behind-bushs-torture-program/ |archive-date=April 5, 2019 }}

In 2005, Jessen and Mitchell formed a company called Mitchell Jessen and Associates, with offices in Spokane and Virginia.{{Cite interview |url=https://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/21/the_story_of_mitchell_jessen_associates |title=The Story of Mitchell Jessen & Associates: How a Psychologists Helped Develop CIA Torture Techniques |website=Democracy Now! |first=Mark |last=Benjamin |first2= Katherine |last2=Eban |first3=Karen Dorn |last3=Steele |interviewer=Amy Goodman |date=2009-04-21 }}

On October 15, 2012, Jessen was sustained as bishop of the Spokane 6th Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.{{cite news |url= http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/oct/18/church-appointee-aided-cia-on-terror/ |title= Mormon church appointee aided CIA on terror |first= Jim |last= Camden |date= October 18, 2012 |newspaper= The Spokesman-Review }} He resigned as bishop one week later.{{cite journal |url= https://religiondispatches.org/does-romneys-religion-condone-torture-updated/ |title= Does Romney's Religion Condone Torture? |first= Joanna |last= Brooks |author-link= Joanna Brooks |date= October 23, 2012 |journal= Religion Dispatches }}

{{main|Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture}}

File:US Senate Report on CIA Detention Interrogation Program.pdf

On December 9, 2014, the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released a report confirming the use of torture and SERE tactics in interrogations.{{cite news |author=United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/12/09/world/cia-torture-report-document.html |title=The Senate Committee's Report on the C.I.A.'s Use of Torture |work=The New York Times |date=December 9, 2014 |via=NYTimes.com|author-link=United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence }} The contractors that developed the "enhanced interrogation techniques" received {{USD}}81 million for their services, out of an original contract worth more than {{USD}}180{{nbsp}}million. NBC News identified the contractors, who were referred to in the report via pseudonyms, as Mitchell, Jessen & Associates from Spokane, Washington, which was run by two psychologists, John "Bruce" Jessen and James Mitchell. The report states that the contractor "developed the list of enhanced interrogation techniques and personally conducted interrogations of some of the CIA's most significant detainees using those techniques. The contractors also evaluated whether the detainees' psychological state allowed for continued use of the techniques, even for some detainees they themselves were interrogating or had interrogated." Mitchell, Jessen & Associates developed a "menu" of 20 enhanced techniques including waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and stress positions. John Rizzo, CIA acting general counsel, described in his book Company Man, that the techniques were "sadistic and terrifying."{{cite web |last1=Windrem |first1=Robert |title=CIA Paid Torture Teachers More Than $80 Million |website=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/cia-torture-report/cia-paid-torture-teachers-more-80-million-n264756 |date=December 9, 2014 |access-date=December 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209231909/http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/cia-torture-report/cia-paid-torture-teachers-more-80-million-n264756|archive-date=December 9, 2014 |url-status=live }}

In 2014, The New York Times Editorial board called for the investigation and prosecution of Mitchell and Jessen for their role in developing the torture practices used by the CIA.{{cite news |author= |title=Prosecute Torturers and Their Bosses |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/22/opinion/prosecute-torturers-and-their-bosses.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 21, 2014 |access-date=April 17, 2015 }} In 2015, Human Rights Watch called for the prosecution of Jessen "for [his] alleged direct participation in torture, often applied in ways beyond how it was authorized, but also for [his] role in the initial conspiracy to torture as well."{{cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/node/283564 |title=No More Excuses: A Roadmap to Justice for CIA Torture |author= |date= December 2015|website=hrw.org |publisher=Human Rights Watch |access-date=December 2, 2015 }}

On October 13, 2015, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen on behalf of Mohamed Ahmed Ben Soud, Suleiman Abdullah Salim, and the estate of Gul Rahman, three former detainees who were subjected to the interrogation methods they designed.{{cite news |first=Jenna |last=McLaughlin |title=Former U.S. Detainees Sue Psychologists Responsible For CIA Torture Program |url=https://theintercept.com/2015/10/13/former-u-s-detainees-sue-psychologists-responsible-for-cia-torture-program/ |work=Intercept |date=October 13, 2015 |access-date=March 30, 2016}} The suit alleges that the defendants' conduct constituted torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment; non-consensual human experimentation; and war crimes{{snd}}"all of which are violations of 'specific, universal, and obligatory' international law norms, as evidenced by numerous binding international treaties, declarations, and other international law instruments".{{cite web |title=Salim v. Mitchell - Complaint |url=https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/salim-v-mitchell-complaint |date=October 15, 2015}} A trial was set for June 2017.{{cite news |title=Judge hints at trial for harsh interrogation suit |author=Nicholas Geranios |url=http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/35195416-75/judge-hints-at-trial-for-harsh-interrogation-suit.html.csp |newspaper=The Register-Guard |date=January 20, 2017 |access-date=January 20, 2017 |agency=Associated Press}} On July 28, 2017, U.S. District Judge Justin Lowe Quackenbush denied both parties' motions for summary judgment, noted that the defendants are indemnified by the United States government, and encouraged the attorneys to reach a settlement before trial.{{cite news|last1=Fink|first1=Sheri|title=2 Psychologists in C.I.A. Interrogations Can Face Trial, Judge Rules|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/28/us/cia-interrogations-torture-psychologists.html|access-date=July 29, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=July 29, 2017|page=A18}} A settlement was reached in August 2017.{{cite news|last1=Fink|first1=Sheri|title=2 Settlement Reached in C.I.A. Torture Case|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/17/us/cia-torture-lawsuit-settlement.html|access-date=March 13, 2018|work=The New York Times|date=August 17, 2017|page=A12}}

Jessen was portrayed in the 2019 film The Report by T. Ryder Smith.

• Nuremberg Code
• Torture and the United States
• Larry C. James
• John Leso

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• {{cite news |first=Larry |last=Siems |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2017/oct/09/cia-torture-black-site-enhanced-interrogation |title=Inside the CIA's black site torture room |work=The Guardian |date=October 9, 2017 }}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110326091958/http://www.truth-out.org/cia-psychologists-notes-reveal-bushs-torture-program68542 CIA Psychologist's Notes Reveal True Purpose Behind Bush's Torture Program], Truthout, Jason Leopold, Jeffrey Kaye, March 22, 2011
• {{cite web |url=http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2011/03/28/the-dark-desires-of-bruce-jessen-the-architect-of-bushs-torture-program-as-revealed-by-his-former-friend-and-colleague/ |title=The Dark Desires of Bruce Jessen, the Architect of Bush's Torture Program, As Revealed by His Former Friend and Colleague |first=Andy |last=Worthington |author-link=Andy Worthington |date=March 28, 2011 }}
• {{cite news |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2009/04/torture-memos-link-lawyers-and-psychologists |title=Torture Memos Link Lawyers and Psychologists |work=Vanity Fair |first=Katherine |last=Eban |author-link=Katherine Eban |date=April 19, 2009 }}
• {{cite news |url=https://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/21/the_story_of_mitchell_jessen_associates/ |title=The Story of Mitchell Jessen & Associates: How a Team of Psychologists in Spokane, WA, Helped Develop the CIA's Torture Techniques |work=DemocracyNow |date=April 21, 2009 }}

{{Controversies surrounding people captured during the War on Terror}}

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Category:Living people

Category:1949 births

Category:21st-century American psychologists

Category:Torture in the United States

Category:Psychological torture techniques

Category:20th-century American psychologists

Category:American war criminals