James Elmer Mitchell

Summary

James Elmer Mitchell is a former U.S. military psychologist who was contracted by the CIA to design, implement, and oversee the agency's post-9/11 torture program. Along with his colleague John "Bruce" Jessen, he developed the "enhanced interrogation techniques" based on the theory of "learned helplessness."

Background

• Former U.S. military psychologist
• Previously worked for the U.S. military's Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) program
• Had no prior experience in interrogation before being contracted by the CIA

CIA Involvement

Mitchell helped convince the CIA to adopt torture as official policy. He and Jessen:

• Designed the torture methods used at CIA black sites
• Performed illegal human experimentation on CIA prisoners
• Personally took part in torture sessions
• Oversaw the program's implementation for the CIA
• Trained and supervised other CIA personnel in their methods

Torture Methods Developed

According to the Senate Intelligence Committee report, methods devised by Mitchell include:

• Wall slamming (walling)
• Confinement in coffin-like boxes
• Exposure to extreme temperatures
• Ear-splitting levels of music
• Starvation
• Various forms of water torture
• Sleep deprivation for days
• Stress positions designed for pain and to keep prisoners awake

Mitchell, Jessen & Associates

In 2005, Mitchell co-founded Mitchell, Jessen & Associates with John Jessen. The CIA contracted this company to run its entire torture program, including:

• Supplying interrogators
• Security for black sites
• Rendition operations

According to the Senate report, the government paid the company $81 million over several years.

Legal Proceedings

Salim v. Mitchell (2015-2017)

The ACLU filed a lawsuit against Mitchell and Jessen on behalf of three CIA torture victims:

• Gul Rahman - Died from torture (hypothermia)
• Suleiman Abdullah Salim - Tanzanian fisherman, held over 5 years
• Mohamed Ahmed Ben Soud - Libyan refugee, tortured for over 2 years

In August 2017, facing imminent trial, the psychologists agreed to an out-of-court settlement — the first such settlement in a case involving CIA torture.

Learned Helplessness Theory

Mitchell and Jessen's torture program was based on experiments conducted on dogs in the 1960s:

Dogs were subjected to random electric shocks, and they eventually collapsed into a passive state termed "learned helplessness."

Their theory proposed that if humans were psychologically destroyed through torture and abuse, they would become totally unable to resist demands for information.