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Bruce Jessen
Psychologist; CIA Torture Program Architect
Co-designed CIA "enhanced interrogation" torture program; paid $81 million by the U.S. government
Overview
James Elmer "Bruce" Jessen is a psychologist and former U.S. Air Force contractor who; together with James Mitchell; designed the CIA's "enhanced interrogation techniques" program used on detainees in the War on Terror. Jessen and Mitchell reverse-engineered the military's SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) training program; which was designed to prepare U.S. soldiers to resist torture; into an actual torture program used on CIA prisoners. They personally waterboarded Abu Zubaydah 83 times in August 2002 and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed 183 times. Their company; Mitchell, Jessen & Associates; received $81 million in CIA contracts. The Senate Intelligence Committee's 2014 Torture Report found that the techniques were ineffective at producing actionable intelligence and that both men had "no experience as interrogators." In 2017; a federal court allowed a lawsuit (Salim v. Mitchell) by three former detainees to proceed against Jessen and Mitchell; the case was settled for an undisclosed amount. Despite designing a program that the UN; the Red Cross; and numerous legal experts have classified as torture; neither Jessen nor Mitchell have faced criminal prosecution.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
Co-designed the CIA's "enhanced interrogation techniques" program; which the Senate Torture Report; the UN; the International Red Cross; and most legal scholars consider torture under international law
Personally participated in the waterboarding of Abu Zubaydah (83 times in August 2002) and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (183 times); both were subjected to additional techniques including sleep deprivation up to 180 hours; stress positions; confinement boxes; and rectal feeding
Had no experience as interrogators; the Senate Torture Report noted they had "no relevant experience" and "no specialized knowledge of al-Qaeda; a lack of language skills and a limited understanding of the culture"
Mitchell, Jessen & Associates was paid $81 million by the CIA before the contract was terminated in 2009; they were originally contracted for up to $180 million
The Senate Intelligence Committee Torture Report (2014) found the program was ineffective; "the CIA's use of its enhanced interrogation techniques was not an effective means of acquiring intelligence"
Gul Rahman died of hypothermia in November 2002 at a CIA black site (Salt Pit) in Afghanistan after being left chained to a concrete floor half-naked; the techniques applied were based on Jessen and Mitchell's program
Never criminally prosecuted for torture; the DOJ declined to bring charges in 2012 after a limited investigation
Related Investigations (5)
Known Associates & Connections
James Mitchell
Co-architect of CIA torture program; business partner at Mitchell, Jessen & Associates
Sources & Documentation
3 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
Personal Information
- Born
- Unknown
- Birthplace
- Unknown
- Also Known As
- James Elmer Jessen
Education
- •Ph.D. Clinical Psychology; Utah State University
Key Timeline
1980s-1990s
Served as psychologist at U.S. Air Force SERE school; studying techniques used to train soldiers to resist torture
April 2002
CIA contracts Jessen and Mitchell to develop interrogation program based on reverse-engineered SERE techniques
August 2002
Abu Zubaydah waterboarded 83 times at CIA black site; Jessen and Mitchell personally involved
November 2002
Detainee Gul Rahman dies of hypothermia at Salt Pit black site in Afghanistan; techniques based on Jessen-Mitchell program
March 2003
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed waterboarded 183 times after capture in Pakistan
2005
Mitchell, Jessen & Associates formally incorporated to receive CIA contracts
2009
CIA terminates contract with Mitchell, Jessen & Associates; total payments: $81 million
December 9, 2014
Senate Intelligence Committee releases Torture Report documenting the program's ineffectiveness and brutality
October 2015
ACLU files Salim v. Mitchell lawsuit on behalf of three former detainees against Jessen and Mitchell
August 2017
Federal judge allows lawsuit to proceed to trial; denying qualified immunity defense
August 2017
Case settled for undisclosed amount before trial