After September 11, 2001, U.S. officials authorized the cruel treatment and torture of prisoners held in Afghanistan, Iraq, Guantanamo, and the CIA's secret prisons overseas.

This database documents the U.S. government's official experiment with torture. At present, the database contains well over 100,000 pages of government documents obtained primarily through Freedom of Information Act litigation and requests filed by the ACLU, and through litigation of Salim v. Mitchell, a lawsuit brought by the ACLU on behalf of the survivors and the family of a dead victim of the CIA torture program. To learn more about the database, please read the About and Search Help pages. If you're a developer, you can also access this data through our API.

Search Result (50)

RelevanceDateRelease Date
Sept. 06, 2004 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 4583

An OLC memo to the CIA addressing whether the use of "twelve particular interrogation techniques (attention grasp, walling, facial hold, facial slap (insult slap), cramped confinement, wall standing, stress positions, sleep depravation, ...

Aug. 24, 2009
Legal Memo, Letter
Daniel B. Levin
John A. Rizzo
Daniel B. Levin, John A. Rizzo
EIT, Use of water, Water dousing, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, Attention grasp, Facial hold, Walling, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Sleep deprivation, Dietary manipulation, Nudity
May 10, 2005 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 4549

An OLC memo concluding that the CIA’s interrogation techniques do not violate the torture statute if used individually.

Apr. 16, 2009
Legal Memo
Steven G. Bradbury
John A. Rizzo
Steven G. Bradbury, John A. Rizzo, James B. Comey, Daniel B. Levin, John L. Helgerson, George J. Tenet, Jay S. Bybee, George W. Bush
EIT, SERE, Waterboarding, Water dousing, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, Attention grasp, Facial hold, Walling, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Dietary manipulation, Nudity, Use of water, Physical assault
May 30, 2005 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 4551

An OLC memo addressing whether certain enhanced interrogation techniques used by the CIA are consistent with the United States's obligations under Article 16 of the United Nations Convention Agsinst Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or ...

Apr. 16, 2009
Legal Memo
Steven G. Bradbury
John A. Rizzo
John A. Rizzo, Steven G. Bradbury, Daniel B. Levin, Jack L. Goldsmith, Jay S. Bybee, George J. Tenet, William J. Haynes, II
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Abu Zubaydah, Riduan "Hambali" Isamuddin, Majid Khan, Mohd Farik Bin Amin, Jose Padilla
EIT, SERE, Use of water, Waterboarding, Water dousing, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, Attention grasp, Facial hold, Walling, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Sleep deprivation, Dietary manipulation, Nudity
May 10, 2005 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 4986

An OLC memo addressing whether the combined use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" (including waterboarding) violates the prohibition on torture.  The memo concludes that it would not.

Apr. 16, 2009
Legal Memo
Steven G. Bradbury
John A. Rizzo
Steven G. Bradbury, John A. Rizzo, James B. Comey, Jay S. Bybee, Daniel B. Levin
EIT, SERE, Use of water, Waterboarding, Water dousing, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, Attention grasp, Facial hold, Walling, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Sleep deprivation, Dietary manipulation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Hooding/Goggling, Nudity, Other
Dec. 30, 2004 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 3547
Department of Justice Office of Legal Council on Standards of Conduct for Interrogation under 18 U.S.C. §§ 2340-2340A. This memo superceding the August 2002 memo interpreting the anti-torture statute. The memo disagrees with the previous memo's ...
June 01, 2005
Legal Memo
Daniel B. Levin
James B. Comey
Daniel B. Levin, James B. Comey, George W. Bush
Jan. 08, 2005 | ACLU-RDI 3548

A series of blog posts by a former OLC lawyer, Marty Lederman, discussing the difference between the DOJ's memo on torture from August 2002 and the memo on torture from December 30, 2004 (ACLU-RDI 3547).  The posts conclude that the Bush ...

June 01, 2005
Other
John C. Yoo, Daniel B. Levin, Alberto R. Gonzales, Richard J. Durbin
Waterboarding, Mock Burial, Rendition, Stress positions, Sleep deprivation, Light or sound, Hooding/Goggling, Religious, Use of water, Threat, Environmental manipulation, Other Humiliation
July 14, 2004 | FBI | ACLU-RDI 3370
Fax cover letter to Adrien Silas from [redacted] regarding Valerie Caproni's July 14, 2004 hearing before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Some names are illegible.
May 18, 2005
Letter
Adrien Silas
Adrien Silas, Valerie E. Caproni, Jack L. Goldsmith, Steven G. Bradbury, Daniel B. Levin, Rachel Brand
June 02, 2004 | DOJ | ACLU-RDI 2711
Refers to Revised AG talkers (talking points) on interrogation for a discussion. The attached documents are "McCotter mstrong Points," "Iraq Points," "Iraq Corrections Points," and "Afghanistan."
Oct. 15, 2004
Email
Peter B. Owen
Patrick Rowan | Steven G. Bradbury | William Moschella | Jack L. Goldsmith | Patrick Philbin | Daniel J. Bryant | Daniel B. Levin | Crystal Roberts | Sean McLaughlin | David Nahmias | Judi Garrett | Thomas Kane
Peter B. Owen, David E. Nahmias, Steven G. Bradbury, William E. Moschella, Jack L. Goldsmith, Patrick Philbin, Daniel J. Bryant, Daniel B. Levin, Crystal Roberts, Sean McLaughlin, Judith S. Garrett, Thomas R. Kane
July 06, 2004 | ACLU-RDI 2712
Refers to Draft testimony for a July 13, 2004 hearing re Interrogation in War Against Terrorism. Message is completely redacted.
Oct. 15, 2004
Email
Deborah J. Clifton
Julie E. Samuels | Daniel B. Levin | Patrick Philbin | Jack L. Goldsmith | Steven G. Bradbury | Renee Lerner | Betty Lofton | Patricia Massie | James A. McAtamney | Ethan Kanter | Rachel Brand | Dawn Burton | Winnie Brinkley | Dyone Mitchell
Deborah J. Clifton, Betty Lofton, Julie E. Samuels, Patricia Massie, James A. McAtamney, Daniel B. Levin, Patrick Philbin, Ethan Kanter, Jack L. Goldsmith, Steven G. Bradbury
June 01, 2004 | DOJ | ACLU-RDI 2715

Refers to Draft talking points. Attachments seem to be redacted.

Oct. 15, 2004
Email
Peter B. Owen
Patrick Rowan | David Nahmias | William Moschella | Jack L. Goldsmith | Patrick Philbin | Crystal Roberts | Sean McLaughlin | Thomas Kane | Judi Garrett | Daniel B. Levin | Daniel J. Bryant
Peter B. Owen, William E. Moschella, Crystal Roberts, Sean McLaughlin, Jack L. Goldsmith, Patrick Philbin, Daniel B. Levin, Daniel J. Bryant, Judith S. Garrett, Patrick Rowan, Thomas R. Kane