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
This is a memo from the CIA which describes the month-long custody and interrogation of detainee Abu Zubaydah and requests comments from Alec/HQs "on establishing the priority focus of the ongoing interrogations of Abu Zubaydah".
This is a memo detailing the visit of a three-person behavioral interrogation team's visit to Abu Zubaydah's holding compound and "evolving" interrogation room. It includes details of the team's suggestions for cell modifications, including "the ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
Light or sound, Environmental manipulation
This is an undated note from Jim Mitchell in which he proposes his ideas for "the broad features of the training program" and offers his and Bruce Jessen's help putting the training together and delivering it or helping to "craft the product". ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Non-legal Memo, Letter
James Mitchell
James Mitchell , Bruce Jessen
This document contains interview notes of a redacted official discussing their knowledge of the events surrounding Gul Rahman's death. The interview discusses different detention conditions at the COBALT site and the kinds of conditions Gul ...
Sept. 02, 2016
Cable, Interview (Summaries/Notes)
Bruce Jessen
Gul Rahman
EIT, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Dietary manipulation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Temperature, Nudity
This document contains an interview of a redacted subject on the death of Gul Rahman. The interviewee describes Rahman's behavior as a detainee and the events that happened after learning of Rahman's death.
Sept. 02, 2016
Non-legal Memo
Gul Rahman
EIT, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Environmental manipulation, Temperature
Almost entirely redacted document entitled "Proposal for an enhanced interrogation strategy in the War on Terrorism." The only page which is not entirely redacted is an outline of the team responsible for Abu Zubaydah's interrogation.
Dec. 20, 2016
Non-legal Memo
Abu Zubaydah, Jose Padilla
SERE
This cable states that after cold conditions with minimal food and sleep, Gul Rahman admitted his identity to interrogators, including Bruce Jessen. Rahman was also reportedly confused and appeared somewhat incoherent.
Sept. 02, 2016
Cable
Bruce Jessen
Gul Rahman
EIT, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Dietary manipulation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound
This cable provides a report of day 12 of the cycle of interrogation carried out on detainee Abu Zubaydah on August 15, 2002. Though large portions of this report are redacted, it includes details of interrogators using a combination of ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
EIT, Use of water, Waterboarding, Cramped confinement, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling
This cable states that the CIA may make plans to relocate Gul Rahman to a different site to implement enhanced interrogation measures after his refusal to cooperate with interrogator Bruce Jessen.
Sept. 02, 2016
Cable
Bruce Jessen
Gul Rahman
EIT, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Environmental manipulation
This cable provides a report of day 9 of the cycle of interrogation carried out on detainee Abu Zubaydah on August 12, 2002. It includes details of interrogators using a combination of waterboarding, walling, cramped confinement, hooding, and ...
This memorandum states that an individual in custody after a raid is possibly Gul Rahman and that the station will work to make a positive identification.
Sept. 02, 2016
Non-legal Memo
Gul Rahman
EIT
This memorandum describes the plan for obtaining cooperation of Gul Rahman, including possible enhanced interrogation due to the fact that Rahman is likely withholding valuable information.
Sept. 02, 2016
Non-legal Memo
Gul Rahman
EIT
This memorandum states that Gul Rahman was successfully rendered without incident and that there were not security issues or problems in executing the rendition.
Sept. 02, 2016
Non-legal Memo
Gul Rahman
This memorandum describes the chronology of events relating to the death of Gul Rahman at the COBALT facility.
Sept. 02, 2016
Non-legal Memo
Gul Rahman
EIT
This CIA memorandum states that Gul Rahman has refused to confirm his identity or provide information to interrogators. The memorandum requests assistance to apply "alternative psychological pressures" to move Rahman "toward a debriefing mode."
Sept. 02, 2016
Non-legal Memo
Gul Rahman
This CIA cable outlines the recommended interrogation plan for Gul Rahman and states that it should include "environmental deprivation" and "concentrated interrogation exposure." Specifically, sleep loss and fatigue are suggested as most ...
Sept. 02, 2016
Cable
Bruce Jessen
Gul Rahman
EIT, Sleep deprivation, Environmental manipulation
This cable provides a report of day 8 of the cycle of interrogation carried out on detainee Abu Zubaydah on August 11, 2002. It includes details of interrogators using a combination of waterboarding, walling, cramped confinement, and hooding in ...
This is a general report on a cycle of interrogation carried out on August 10, 2002 on detainee Abu Zubaydah. It includes an overview of techniques used (including the waterboard, walling, hooding, and cramped confinement), in addition to brief ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
EIT, Use of water, Waterboarding, Physical assault, Walling, Cramped confinement
This cable provides a report of day 6 of the cycle of interrogation carried out on detainee Abu Zubaydah on August 9, 2002. It includes details of interrogators using a combination of waterboarding, walling, cramped confinement, and hooding in ...
This heavily redacted memorandum states that Gul Rahman has been uncooperative in debriefing sessions and suggests that interrogators need to create a plan to best extract information.
Non-legal Memo
Gul Rahman
This document is a memorandum from the chief of the Counterintelligence Evaluation Branch of the Counterespionage Group in the Counterintelligence Center about an interview conducted with John B. Jessen regarding the death of Gul Rahman.
This cable provides a report of day 5 of the cycle of interrogation carried out on detainee Abu Zubaydah on August 8, 2002. It includes details of interrogators using a combination of waterboarding, walling, cramped confinement, and hooding in ...
This cable provides a report of day 4 of the cycle of interrogation carried out on detainee Abu Zubaydah on August 7, 2002. It includes details of interrogators using a combination of waterboarding, walling, cramped confinement, and insult slaps ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is the nineteenth modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of this modification is to increase funding from $75,700,073 ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is the eighteenth modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of this modification is to increase funding from $73,700,073 ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is the seventeenth modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of this modification is to increase funding from $73,100,073 ...
This heavily redacted cable provides authorization and authority for Bruce Jessen and James Mitchell to use the full range of level 1 EITs and the level 2 water board. All envelope information is redacted.
Dec. 20, 2016
Non-legal Memo, Cable
Bruce Jessen, James Mitchell
EIT, Use of water, Waterboarding
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is the sixteenth modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of this modification is to increase the contract value to to ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is the fifteenth modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The main purpose of this modification is to increase funding from ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is the fourteenth modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of the modification is to increase funding from $65,403,684 to ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is the thirteenth modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of the modification is to increase funding from $53,403,684 to ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is the twelfth modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of the modification is to increase funding from $52,403,684 to ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is the eleventh modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of the modification is to increase funding from $45,903,684 to ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is the tenth modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of the modification is to increase the contract value and target ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is the ninth modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of the modification is to "fully fund" the contract, thereby ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is the eighth modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of this modification is to decrease funding from $43,826,609 to ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is the seventh modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of this modification is to increase contract value to $43,826,609 ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is the sixth modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of this modification is to increase contract value for to ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract includes the third modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of this modification is to increase contract value to ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is the fifth modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of this modification is to add clause 152.245-714, "Government ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract includes the fourth modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of this modification is to increase contract value to ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract includes the second modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The purpose of this modification is to increase contract value to ...
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract was filed to de-obligate excess FY 2009 funding from Mitchell, Jessen & Associates Account Line. The contract value remains at $76,007,361.
This Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract includes the first modification to the March 2005 contract between Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and the government. The modification increases contract value and obligation from $1,183,783 ...
This document is a list of DOJ advice on interrogation dated November 9, 2007.
This document is a list of DOJ advice on interrogation dated December 12, 2007.
This Statement of Work is a revised version of Mitchell, Jessen & Associates' Technical Proposal included in the June 15, 2005 Statement of Work.
This document is a fax from John Rizzo to Steven Bradbury containing Mr. Rizzo's draft Q&A responses for an upcoming hearing on detention and interrogation.
This Statement of Work dated June 15, 2005 includes Mitchell, Jessen & Associates' (MJA) Technical Proposal dated April 27, 2005, which lays out the objectives and scope of the Project with the Counterterrorist Center (CTC) (the name of the ...
This document is testimony given by Steven Bradbury, acting Assistant Attorney General of the OLC before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. The testimony contains Mr. Bradbury's summary of the four legal standards that apply to the ...
Aug. 31, 2016
Interview (Statement)
Steven G. Bradbury
Steven G. Bradbury
EIT