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 (6709)

RelevanceDateRelease Date
E-mail discusses the compilation of a list of all detainees at Camp Bucca separated by offense. There are twenty-three (23) pages of detainee names sequentially listed by prisoner number, but all names redacted. ACLU RDI 1217 contains the ...
Transcipt of a detainee report of abuse. Detainee unnamed and report not connected to any investigation. Detainee was beaten while transported in a helicopter. Appears to be a different detainee from ACLU RDI 1212.
May 16, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Physical assault
Instructions for protecting detainees and soldiers from lice, ticks, etc.
Correspondence about the creation of the Detainee Operations Assessment/Assistance team. Function areas include doctrine, accountability, documentation, training, tactical level, force protection, detainee release procedures, physical ...
May 16, 2005
Email
David D. McKiernan
Questions for an interrogator in preparation of his interview of a detainee who was assaulted during a helicopter transport. Detainee is unnamed and report not connected to any investigation. The memo states the purpose of the report was to ...
May 16, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Physical assault
Army talking points on the abuse allegations at Abu Ghraib prison. Provides basic information about the Abu Ghraib investigation for speaking with the press.
May 16, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Antonio Taguba, David D. McKiernan, Donald J. Ryder
Informs recipients of a Detainee Operations Assessment/Assistance team that is being formed and will visit detainee related operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
Army press release detailing the non-judicial punishmment for three soldiers found guilty of abusing four Iraqi detainees.
May 16, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Ennis Whitehead, III
Proposed press release about detainee abuse in Iraq. Packet includes an article from CNN.com about the Abu Ghraib photos, a release from the Coalition Forces Office of Public Affairs announcing the initiation of an investigation into detainee ...
May 16, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Ricardo Sanchez, Antonio Taguba, Donald J. Ryder
Proposed Statement concerning the Baghdad Confinement Facility Detainee Abuse and an announcement of a criminal investigation surrounding the detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib.
May 16, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Ricardo Sanchez
This email contains a transcript of a Department of Defense news briefing by Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt about the United States role in Iraq ("restoration of a stable environment in order to repair infrastructure, stimulate the economy and ...
May 16, 2005
Email
Mark Traecey Patrick Kimmitt, Gareth Bayley
Forward of an article discussing the creation of a nine-member Combined Review and Release Board for detainees made up of members of the Coalition Forces and the Interim Iraqi Government's Ministries of Justice, Interior and Human Rights.
May 16, 2005
Email
Geoffrey D. Miller
Email discusses an MSNBC leak of AR 15-6 Executive Summary. The Officer writing the email points out privacy questions, but notes "In the current media environment, it may not be worth fighting. The names are now out there and will be used. ...
Army public affairs officer discusses a press briefing where the detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib prison and AR 15-6 reports being leaked to the press. Outlines questions anticipated based around the leaked Executive Summary.
May 16, 2005
Email
Donald H. Rumsfeld, Peter Pace
Transcript of a media conversation where Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Public Affairs Lawrence Di Rita provides background to the Abu Ghraib investigation.
Army email on Abu Ghraib prison abuse media queries and where and to whom such inquiries should be directed
Department of Defense Memo re: Talking Points on Abu Ghraib Prison Abuse. Public release.
Army Officer fowards an email with talking points to General Taguba and states the attachment is "talking points and background information being used to respond to media queries".
May 16, 2005
Email
Antonio Taguba
Army memo providing talking points emphasize Abu Ghraib abuse, stressing the abuse was an aberration that will be fixed.
Department of Defense talking points on Abu Ghraib detainee abuse which highlight how abuse is fundamentally against American military standards, how the majority of U.S. soldiers conduct themselves honorably, and how the abuse will be ...
Department of Defense talking points on the Abu Ghraib prison abuse. Main points include how disturbing the images are, how the Secretary and the DOD are taking the charges seriously, how the Department will hold violators accountable, how the ...
Summary of comments made through media outlets by General Peter Schoomaker, General George Casey, Major General Geoffrey Miller, Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, President George Bush, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, General Peter Pace, ...
Instructions about message and direction of media queries concerning Abu Ghraib abuse. the emails states "[It is] strongly recommend that any responses to queries regarding MP training of any sort should be answered strictly generically and ...
Notice Page re: Bates Numbering Error from Page 9415 - 9567. No other pages; no other content.
Email provides instructions on where to direct media queries upon the release of the Jones-Fay Investigative report in to abuse of detainees.
May 16, 2005
Email
Paul J. Kern, Anthony R. Jones, George R. Fay
Instructions on how to handle Abu Ghraib investigation on a public relations level. Primary message is that abuses at Abu Ghraib was committed by a "small group of soldiers and civilian contractors who apparently failed to respect the dignity of ...
May 16, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Ricardo Sanchez, George R. Fay, Paul J. Kern, Anthony R. Jones
In response to increased attention to detainee conditions in U.S. government and media the Army instituted reforms on handling and detainees and reporting any abuse. The document consists of several "Executive Summary’s" that detail the issues ...
May 16, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Donald J. Ryder, George R. Fay, James R. Schlesinger
Update on detainee death investigation. the attachment contains a listing the names, and pertinent personal data on all subjects related to the detainee abuse investigation. Criminal InVestigation Command is the sender.

PowerPoint presentation on the number of detainee abuse investigations, death investigations (natural/undetermined deaths, justifiable homicides, homicides) and other soldier misconduct investigations (assaults, sexual assaults, ...

Emails between Army Officers concerning various issues surrounding detainees and their detention, including deaths and off-base investigations. There are numerous attachments to the emails. Mostly redacted.
May 16, 2005
Email
Donald J. Ryder
Investigation into allegations of larceny, looting, failure to obey a general order, accessory after the fact and conspiracy. Case involves ten soldiers who allegedly stole $4,000 and 700,000 Iraqi dinars during a combat cordon and search of an ...
Bates Pages 8560-9072 have been removed. Releasability determination to be made at a later date.
Commander's Report of Court Martial and Disciplinary Action taken against ten (10) soldiers accused of crimes during thier tour. The crimes listed are: 1) Looting (Art. 103 UCMJ); 2) Violation of a General Order (Art. 92 UCMJ); and 3) Accessory ...
Army Memo: OTJAG Documents Maintained by USACIDC. Lists of page numbers of evidence in investigations.
Investigation of photographs taken of a hooded and flexcuffed detainee in a stress position with a U.S. soldier simulating sodomy on him with a broomstick. Investigation shows that the detainees were not put into the stress positions for reasons ...
May 16, 2005
Investigative File (AR 15-6)
Physical assault, Sexual, Stress positions, Other Humiliation, Sexual
Instructions for Article 15 counseling for soldiers. A soldier reported that once stateside they saw several photos of Iraqi prisoners, and specifically Iraqi women, in custody and possibly in a state of undress. The matter was reported, ...
Fax of a sworn statement which describes soldiers having photographs of naked female prisoners and being instructed by superiors to delete all such photographs from their computers in case of investigation. related to CID investigation. ACLU RDI 64.
May 16, 2005
Investigative File (CID), Interview (Statement)
Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual
This is the appointment of an Officer for an informal AR 15-6 investigation to accusations of detainee abuse in Baghdad, Iraq between April 1-30, 2003 by the 2nd Battalion, 325TH Airborne Infantry Regiment. The investigation found that the ...
May 16, 2005
Non-legal Memo, Investigative File (AR 15-6)
Physical assault
Memo for the Record concerning an AR 15-6 investigation findings of investigation in to alleged detainee abuse and mock executions by U.S. forces. The investigator cannot determine if the mock executions were actually conducted or just perceived ...
May 16, 2005
Non-legal Memo, Investigative File (AR 15-6)
Raymond T. Odierno
Physical assault, Threat, Assault/death, Mock Burial
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Lieutenant abused a detainee and threatened them with mock executions. Sworn statements for investigation. Soldiers state that they were informed they could fire warning shots ...
May 16, 2005
Investigative File
Assault/death, Threat
CID Report: List of CID Documents Maintained by the OTJAG. Lists of page numbers of evidence in investigations.
Emails between Army Officers re: Request to Have CID Investigate Allegations.
Description of allegations of two occasions in which soldiers used "mock executions" as scare tactics when dealing with Iraqi detainees. On the first occasion, an Iraqi boy was threatened with a loaded weapon, which was discharged immediately to ...
Sworn statement of a Soldier who was being questioned in relation to an allegation of detainee abuse. This statement is missing the first page of the statement. This document relates to an AR 15-6 investigations in to alleged detainee abuse at ...
Investigation into a complaint by an Iraqi detainee that the U.S. soldiers who detained him stole his money when it was confiscated, cut his clothes off of him and made him stand naked in the rain for twelve hours. Investigator finds all claims ...
May 16, 2005
Investigative File
Other
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier witnessed the Captain kicking a detainee and threatening him with a loaded weapon while yelling at him. The soldier also states the ...
May 16, 2005
Investigative File (AR 15-6), Interview (Statement)
Physical assault, Threat, Assault/death, Mock Burial
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier witnessed the Captain kicking a detainee. This document relates to an AR 15-6 investigations in to alleged detainee abuse at Ramadi ...
May 16, 2005
Investigative File (AR 15-6), Interview (Statement)
Physical assault, Threat, Assault/death
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier witnessed the Captain kicking and threatening detainees with a gun and treating them in a disrespectful way. Soldier witnessed the captain ...
May 16, 2005
Investigative File (AR 15-6), Interview (Statement)
Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, General, Threat, Assault/death, Mock Burial
Sworn statement of the Sargent involved in a detainee abuse matter. The Sargent was an aid-de-camp to the Captain who is accused of kicking a detainee and threatening him with a loaded weapon while yelling at him. The Sargent's statement is thin ...
This document relates to an AR 15-6 investigations in to alleged detainee abuse at Ramadi Palace, Iraq – July 11-12, 2003. It is an executed rights warning completed by a soldier being interviewed on a matter of alleged detainee abuse. This ...