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.
Memorandum providing the Assistant Attorney General's office with recommendations regarding detainees scheduled appear before the Transfer Review Board. The contents are heavily redacted.
Memo from CJTF-20 reviewing U.S. detention facilities in Iraq. The overview covers the population and capacity of the facilities, future plans, major concerns, medical issues, a detainee processing summary, and challenges to the facilities.
Memo details a complaint made by a Private First Class (PFC), alleging that his unit members engaged in unlawful behavior.
The PFC first alleged that while on patrol his platoon sergeant, a Sergeant First Class, ordered soldiers to fire upon ...
Investigation into three (3) instances of abuse: one in which a looter were stripped of his clothing and released from custody; another where an Iraqi was accidently shot; and a third in which a detainee was repeatedly hit in the head with a ...
Mar. 23, 2005
Non-legal Memo, Investigative File (AR 15-6), Interview (Statement), UCMJ (Court-Martial) Physical assault, General, Nudity
The investigative file details a complaint made by a Private First Class (PFC), alleging that his unit members engaged in unlawful behavior.
The PFC first alleged that while on patrol his platoon sergeant, a Sergeant First Class, ordered ...
Fragmentary Order 749 (FRAGO 749) relating to detainees, which "consolidates prior orders and guidance." Document is substantially redacted. States, "Capturing units will not detain persons unless there is a reasonable belief that the person is ...
Army AR 15-6 Investigation in to the shooting of an un-armed Iraqi civilian at the Baqubah Airfield in Iraq. The Inquiry found that the soldier involved acted through "simple negligence" when handling a loaded pistol that accidently discharged ...
Memorandum from the FBI to Assistant Attorney General with recommendations regarding detainees scheduled appear before the Transfer Review Board. The contents are heavily redacted.
This document is a letter from the defense counsel of an accused soldier for an adjournment in the proceedings for the soldier to be assigned new defense counsel and to allow that new counsel to prepare for trial in the matter. The facts of the ...
Army AR 15-6 investigation into "soldier misconduct" involving soldiers placing a detainee between the hood and brush guard of a Humvee and driving him around. Allegations also included: Maltreatment of detainees; theft of private property; and ...
This memo is a legal review of the Army Regulation 15-6 investigation into the death of Zaid Muhammed Tariq, an Iraqi national detainee. On August 22, 2003, at the "(Dakota) Detention Facility," officers found Mr. Tariq on the floor of his cell ...
Investigation into incident where a detainee was shot & killed at FOB Ironhorse on 9/11/03. Medics had advised guards that detainees in isolation could get up and walk around to relieve discomfort and pain. An MP saw detainee touching ...
The document is an internal FBI memorandum, regarding guidelines for FBI operations in Iraq, designed especially for the FBI's Iraq Task Force (ITF), located in Doha, Qatar. The memorandum also includes information on command and control, ...
Memo concerns the appointment of an investigating Officer for an informal inquiry of Task Force Iron Gunner Detainee Operations. Iron Gunner looked at procedures for identifying Iraqi national's for detention; Tactics, techniques, and procedures ...
This Memo is fowarding Gen. Sanchez's September 14, 2003 memo (ACLU RDI 935) which states "this memo that the interpreters are civilians who are subject to the Geneva Conventions; the interrogation techniques are only for “security internees”; ...
General Sanchez states in this memo that the interpreters are civilians who are subject to the Geneva Conventions; the interrogation techniques are only for “security internees”; safeguards must be adhered to during interrogations; segregation of ...
General Sanchez states in his memo that "[this] memorandum established the interrogation and counter-resistance policy for CJTF-7." The memo contains two enclosures: 1. Interrogation Techniques; 2. General Safeguards. Gen. Sanchez states that ...
Discusses the Article 32 investigation into four military policemen charged with abuse. Abuse counts involve seven (7) EPWs. Abuse includes kicking, striking, dragging, punching and twisting detainees arm. All names redacted. Details the ...
The purpose of this memo was to evaluate the process of detainee operations in the Division to ensure compliance with appropriate regulations and laws. Provides assessment of units. Concludes that units are accomplishing their overall mission and ...
This FBI memo is listed as: Memorandum from FBI to Department of Justice - Re. REPATRIATION ISSUES, 09/15/2003 and is almost completely redacted except for one (1) line: "the FBI proposes that DOJ concur with DOD's recommendation to transfer for ...
Provides the Assistant Attorney General with recommendations regarding detainees to appear before the Transfer Review Board. Contents almost entirely redacted. In most cases (names are redacted), FBI recommends that DOJ concur with DOD's ...
Army Memo from Provost Marshall, Tikrit, Iraq re: Standard Operating Procedures for Detainee Collection. The purpose of this memorandum is to standardize the operations of the Task Force Detainee Collection Points and provide guidance for the ...
Standard Operating Procedures for Detainees including humane treatment (including protection against "assault, insults, public curiosity, bodily injury, and reprisals of any kind") strip-searches, detainee personal property, fingerprinting, ...
Army Memo from Major General Odierno to Ironhorse Commanders, Leaders and Soldiers re: Treatment of Detainees. The purpose of this memo is to provide guidance for the treatment of enemy prisoners of war (EPW) civilian internees (CI) and other ...
Army Memo from General Odierno re: Detainee Collection Point Access Control Guidance. Limits outside access to detainees by the International Committee of the Red Cross, legal representatives and certain members of the US/Coalition Forces
Army memo stating that the proper safeguarding of detainees is the responsibility of capturing US forces and that US personnel are to adhear tot he Rules of Engagment.
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance for the treatment of enemy prisoners of war (EPW), civilian internees (CI) and other detainees (OD) in the custody of U.S. Forces. Commanders at all levels will ensure that EPWs, civilian ...
This Army memo from Major general Odierno is to provide guidance for the treatment of Enemy Prisoners of War (EPW), Civilian Internees (CI) and Other Detainees (OD) in the custody of U.S. Forces, and stresses that Commanders at all levels will ...
A memo providing the Assistant Attorney General with recommendations regarding detainees to appear before the Transfer Review Board. Contents mostly redacted.
Describes First Lieutenant's career in Army, saying that though he made a 'mistake in his actions involving the Iraqi prisoner,' this was an 'isolated incident' and should be allowed to resign honorably.
This memo is in supprot of an Honorable Discharge in lieu of a court martial for a First Lieutenant. It states that the 1LT "terrible mistake, when he deviated from procedures".
A memo providing the Assistant Attorney General with recommendations regarding detainees to appear before the Transfer Review Board. Contents mostly redacted.
The memo is the recommendation that a First Lieutenant be allowed to resign from the military for the good of the service because he has lost the confidence of his senior commanders. He had a lapse in judgment and the memo states "[He] will be ...
This DOD memorandum establishes the interrogation and counter-resistance policy for security internees under the control of CJTF-7. The memo outlines various interrogation approaches when dealing with security internees.
Interrogation Rules of Engagement for the 205th MI Brigade, Iraq. Sets forth techniques for use on detainees, of which, including isolation for more than 30 days and the presence of military working dogs, requires the Commanding General's ...
DOD Memo on detainee interrogation guidelines advises that all personnel are to treat detainees humanely. Physical torture, corporal punishment and mental torture are not acceptable interrogation tactics; neither is withholding basic human needs; ...
Army AR 15-6 Investigation in to the abuse of a detainee during interrogation. The investigation found that the soldiers from the 104th Intelligence Battalion “used an MP baton to hit a detainee’s feet and buttocks during the course of an ...