Judge Won't Dismiss Lawsuit on Harsh CIA Interrogation

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS, ASSOCIATED PRESS SPOKANE, Wash. — Apr 22, 2016, 5:35 PM ET

A federal judge on Friday said he won't dismiss a lawsuit against two Washington state psychologists who helped design the CIA's harsh interrogation techniques in the war on terror. The decision means a continuation of the closely watched case that will likely include secret information.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued James E. Mitchell and John "Bruce" Jessen last October on behalf of three former CIA prisoners. The suit said that the psychologists, despite having no expertise on al-Qaida, devised an interrogation program for the CIA that drew from 1960s experiments involving dogs and a theory called "learned helplessness."

The lawsuit accused the two former Air Force psychologists, who worked as independent contractors for the CIA, of endorsing and teaching torture tactics under the guise of science.

"The defendants committed war crimes," said Dror Ladin, an attorney for the ACLU. "This case is about the treatment of prisoners."

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/judge-dismiss-lawsuit-harsh-interrogation-38604021