8/10/2019 Bruce Jessen

1/3

Bruce Jessen

SERE training camp, Fort Bragg. Captain Michael Kearns, Psy-

chologist Bruce Jessen.

John Bruce Jessen is a psychologist, Air Force re-

tiree, and former Mormon bishop who, with James Elmer

Mitchell, established the U.S. torture program referred to

asenhanced interrogation techniques.[1]

1 Career

A United States Air Forceretiree, Jessen was hired in

2002 by theCentral Intelligence Agencywith Mitchell to

design theEnhanced interrogation techniques.[2]

Jessens role in the program was documented in a detailed

report by the USSenate Armed Services Committee, in

December 2008.[3]

On March 22, 2011, in an interview, Capt. Michael

S. Kearns also talked about his unsuccessful attempts

in providing the Committee on Armed Services United

States Senate with information about Jessens torture

research.[4]

In 2005, Jessen andJames Mitchellformed a company

called Mitchell Jessen and Associates, with offices in

SpokaneandVirginia.[5]

Also in 2011, hand written notes by Jessen obtained and

published byTruthoutrevealed that the objectives of the

torture program were not just about obtaining intelligence

but rather, torture was used as a way to break down de-

tainees in order to get them to be compliant and submis-

sive to authority.[6]

On October 15, 2012, Jessen was sustained asbishopof

the Spokane 6th Ward ofThe Church of Jesus Christof Latter-day Saints.[7] He resigned as bishop one week

later.[8]

2 Senate Intelligence Committee

report on CIA torture

Main article: Senate Intelligence Committee report on

CIA torture

On December 9, 2014 the United States Senate Select

Committee on Intelligencereleased a report confirming

the use of torture and SERE tactics in interrogations. [9]

The contractors that developed the enhanced inter-rogation techniques received US$81 million for their

services, out of an original contract worth more than

US$180 million. NBC Newsidentified the contractors,

who were referred to in the report via pseudonyms, as

Mitchell, Jessen & Associates fromSpokane, Washing-

ton, which was run by by two psychologists, John Bruce

Jessen and James Mitchell. The report states that the con-

tractor developed the list of enhanced interrogation tech-

niques and personally conducted interrogations of some

of the CIAs most significant detainees using those tech-

niques. The contractors also evaluated whether the de-

tainees 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 tech-

niques including waterboarding, sleep deprivation and

stress positions. The CIA acting general counsel, de-

scribed in his book Company Man, that the enhanced

techniques were sadistic and terrifying.[10]

3 See also

Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA tor-

ture

Enhanced interrogation techniques

Nuremberg Code

Larry C. James

John Leso

James Elmer Mitchell

4 References

[1] Roger Aldrich, the Al Qaeda Manual, and the Origins of

Mitchell-Jessen, American Torture August 25, 2009

1

http://www.americantorture.com/labels/Bruce%2520Jessen.htmlhttp://www.americantorture.com/labels/Bruce%2520Jessen.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Elmer_Mitchellhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lesohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_C._Jameshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_Codehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_interrogation_techniqueshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senate_Intelligence_Committee_report_on_CIA_torturehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senate_Intelligence_Committee_report_on_CIA_torturehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Elmer_Mitchellhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spokane,_Washingtonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spokane,_Washingtonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_Newshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Select_Committee_on_Intelligencehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Select_Committee_on_Intelligencehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senate_Intelligence_Committee_report_on_CIA_torturehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senate_Intelligence_Committee_report_on_CIA_torturehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saintshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saintshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_(LDS_Church)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_(Latter_Day_Saints)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truthouthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginiahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spokanehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitchell_Jessen_and_Associateshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Elmer_Mitchellhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senate_Armed_Services_Committeehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_interrogation_techniqueshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Intelligence_Agencyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Forcehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_interrogation_techniqueshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Elmer_Mitchellhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Elmer_Mitchellhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_(Latter_Day_Saints)

8/10/2019 Bruce Jessen

2/3

2 5 EXTERNAL LINKS

[2] Shane, Scott (August 11, 2009). Interrogation Inc. - 2

U.S. Architects of Harsh Tactics in 9/11s Wake. New

York Times. Retrieved 2009-08-12.

[3] Report of the Committee on Armed Services United

States Senate Inquiry into the Treatment of Detainees

in U.S. Custody April 22, 2009

[4] CIA Psychologists Notes Reveal True Purpose Behind

Bushs Torture Program , Truthout, March 22, 2011

[5] The Story of Mitchell Jessen & Associates: How a Team

of Psychologists in Spokane, WA, Helped Develop the

CIAs Torture Techniques, DemocracyNow, April 21,

2009

[6] Leopold Interviews Former SERE Instructor Capt.

Michael Kearns About The Bush Administrations Torture

Program, The Public Record, March 24, 2011

[7] Camden, Jim (October 18, 2012),Mormon church ap-

pointee aided CIA on terror,The Spokesman-Review

[8] Brooks, Joanna(October 23, 2012),Does Romneys Re-

ligion Condone Torture?",Religion Dispatches

[9] United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

The Senate Committees Report on the C.I.A.s Use of

TortureDecember 9, 2014.

[10] Windrem, Robert. CIA Paid Torture Teachers More

Than $80 Million. Archived fromthe originalon 9 De-

cember 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.

5 External links

CIA Psychologists Notes Reveal True Purpose

Behind Bushs Torture ProgramTruthout Jason

Leopold Jeffrey KayeMarch 22, 2011

The Dark Desires of Bruce Jessen, the Architect

of Bushs Torture Program, As Revealed by His

Former Friend and Colleague Andy Worthington

March 28, 2011

Jessen.html American Torture Michael Otterman

Torture Memos Link Lawyers and PsychologistsVanity Fair Katherine EbanApril 19, 2009

The Story of Mitchell Jessen & Associates:

How a Team of Psychologists in Spokane, WA,

Helped Develop the CIAs Torture Techniques

DemocracyNowApril 21, 2009

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DemocracyNowhttp://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/21/the_story_of_mitchell_jessen_associates/http://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/21/the_story_of_mitchell_jessen_associates/http://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/21/the_story_of_mitchell_jessen_associates/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Ebanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanity_Fair_(magazine)http://www.vanityfair.com/archive/bruce-jessen/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Ottermanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Torturehttp://www.americantorture.com/labels/Brucehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Worthingtonhttp://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/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/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/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Kayehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Leopoldhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Leopoldhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truthouthttp://www.truth-out.org/cia-psychologists-notes-reveal-bushs-torture-program68542/http://www.truth-out.org/cia-psychologists-notes-reveal-bushs-torture-program68542/http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/cia-torture-report/cia-paid-torture-teachers-more-80-million-n264756https://web.archive.org/web/20141209231909/http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/cia-torture-report/cia-paid-torture-teachers-more-80-million-n264756https://web.archive.org/web/20141209231909/http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/cia-torture-report/cia-paid-torture-teachers-more-80-million-n264756http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/12/09/world/cia-torture-report-document.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/12/09/world/cia-torture-report-document.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Select_Committee_on_Intelligencehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_Dispatcheshttp://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/joannabrooks/6539/does_romney%25E2%2580%2599s_religion_condone_torture/http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/joannabrooks/6539/does_romney%25E2%2580%2599s_religion_condone_torture/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_Brookshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spokesman-Reviewhttp://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/oct/18/church-appointee-aided-cia-on-terror/http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/oct/18/church-appointee-aided-cia-on-terror/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Public_Recordhttp://pubrecord.org/multimedia/9123/jason-leopold-interviews-former/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jason-leopold-interviews-formerJasonhttp://pubrecord.org/multimedia/9123/jason-leopold-interviews-former/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jason-leopold-interviews-formerJasonhttp://pubrecord.org/multimedia/9123/jason-leopold-interviews-former/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jason-leopold-interviews-formerJasonhttp://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/21/the_story_of_mitchell_jessen_associates/http://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/21/the_story_of_mitchell_jessen_associates/http://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/21/the_story_of_mitchell_jessen_associates/http://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/21/the_story_of_mitchell_jessen_associates/http://www.truth-out.org/cia-psychologists-notes-reveal-bushs-torture-program68542http://www.truth-out.org/cia-psychologists-notes-reveal-bushs-torture-program68542http://armed-services.senate.gov/Publications/Detainee%2520Report%2520Final_April%252022%25202009.pdfhttp://armed-services.senate.gov/Publications/Detainee%2520Report%2520Final_April%252022%25202009.pdfhttp://armed-services.senate.gov/Publications/Detainee%2520Report%2520Final_April%252022%25202009.pdfhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Timeshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Timeshttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/12/us/12psychs.html?emhttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/12/us/12psychs.html?em

8/10/2019 Bruce Jessen

3/3

3

6 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

6.1 Text

Bruce Jessen Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce%20Jessen?oldid=637482724Contributors:Ejrh,BD2412,Cydebot, Mojo Hand,Missvain, Waacstats, BrotherSulayman, LaHaine, Traveler100, Good Olfactory, Yobot, Mnnlaxer, Talencar, GoingBatty, Jenlucas415,Cwobeel, Monopoly31121993, HHuc and Anonymous: 11

6.2 Images

File:SERE_training_camp,_Fort_Bragg.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/SERE_training_camp%2C_Fort_Bragg.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.truth-out.org/cia-psychologists-notes-reveal-bushs-torture-program68542 Original artist:Michael Kearns

6.3 Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/http://www.truth-out.org/cia-psychologists-notes-reveal-bushs-torture-program68542http://www.truth-out.org/cia-psychologists-notes-reveal-bushs-torture-program68542http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/SERE_training_camp%252C_Fort_Bragg.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/SERE_training_camp%252C_Fort_Bragg.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce%2520Jessen?oldid=637482724