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.
Emails discuss a parole program for Iraqi detainees in order to deal with the problem of lengthy detentions. LTC [Redacted] states in the email, "[w]e hold detainees so long that there is no hope of getting actionable intelligence."
Emails discuss the flawed judicial system currently in place. Among the problems is the length detainment of prisoners, who have committed petty crimes. The author explains that the "individual will sit in jail for 6 months for a small theft ...
Emails discuss the need to decrease the investigation period and improve the investigation process. One author states " ...our process is drawn out and inefficient."
Original email describes a visit from [redacted], a committee member of an Islamic human rights organization. The email also references a conversation between the author and [redacted] discussing alleged abuse cases that took place at Abu Ghraib.
The original email includes an attachment, with a different CID number in the title of the document. The reply email references allegations of detainee abuse inside the Stryker.
Emails discuss a CID investigation into allegations that a detainee was kicked during questioning. Investigation found there was no probable cause to believe the alleged incident occurred.
Emails discuss the need to decrease the investigation period and improve the investigation process. One author states " ...our process is drawn out and inefficient."
Email seeks confirmation from recipients that two detainees, believed to be members of the Hezib Tehreer target set and planning future attacks, were released.
Email provides recipients with an updated strategy on detainee operations following the Army's discovery of detainee abuse. Original email/update is from Major General Geoffrey Miller.
Email includes a memo from the Provost Marshall, Donald J. Ryder, that provides guidance for handling detainees at multinational maneuver battalion (MNB-N) detainee collection points.
Heavily redacted. Refers to a legal assessment made by CITF-SJA [Criminal Investigation Task Force - Staff Judge Advocate] of interrogation tactics and proposed Standard Operating Procedures for Guantanamo
Criminal Investigative Task Force discussion on its policy when participating in interviews at Guantanamo. The email author states "Our folks should make it clear that our participation in dialogues related to aggressive strategies does not ...
This Army Officer is requesting an investigation into alleged abuse of detainee in Afghanistan, while aboard USS Pelilieu and Bataan and in Guantanamo be undertaken.
Relates to draft of Army Inspector General's (DAIG) report on detainee operations, which is to be reviewed by senior leadership. There is a report circulating that the email recipient needs to review and comment on.
Emails record the correspondences of the investigating agent with multiple army personnel regarding the details of what units and actual soldiers were holding the detainee. The agent conducts an exhaustive search but is unable to match the ...
Email described that in December, 2003, a US soldier dropped an unconscious Iraqi male off to a medical facility; medical examinations concluded that the Iraqi male died from blunt force trauma to the head. The email concluded that an army ...
An Army questionnaire, including forty-one questions given to a solider regarding soldier training, soldier morale and the treatment of detainees. The handwritten responses are mostly illegible or redacted.
Email from Jason Callen, law clerk to Judge Frank Easterbrook, Seventh Circuit, to Jack Goldsmith and forwarded or blind-copied to Lawan Robinson, Confidential Assistant to the Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, Office of Legal ...
Email exchange regarding the death of a civilian named Naeem Sadun Hattab who was detained in Iraq. Includes e-mail from a person at NCIS listing seven suspects in the death of Mr. Hattab. A reply to that email from OSD refers to a memo for ...
Emails between State Department officials concerning the Ban\gram detainees and the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) interest in visiting them in at the Bagram Detention Center in Afghanistan.
State Department email from Nicholas Miscione concerning the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) request to visit the detainees held in Afghanistan. No attachment included.
A CID Report reports the death of an un-named detainee on November 4, 2004 at 1000 hrs. The report states that the 10th Military Police Battalion (CID) was notified that a prisoner at Abu Ghraib died while in custody. The report concluded "The ...
An Army Colonel emails a Chief Warrant Officer at Camp Bucca to establish a list of detainees that are eligible for release from custody. The email states "I have been checking for several days and many of these prisoners do not even have files ...
Email notifies recipient(s) of detainees who are cleared for release from Abu Ghraib, Camp Cropper, Rusafa, Tasferrat, and Camp Bucca [detainee names and numbers redacted]. Also, there is an attachment referenced in the email with detainee ...