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
Mar. 18, 2002 | Non-US | ACLU-RDI 4706
This fax cover sheet is from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office - British Embassy, Washington sent by Robert Macaire to John Bellinger with the message:"I attach a copy of an internal record of the unsuccesa(ul application for judicial review of ...
June 08, 2005
Letter
Robert Macaire
John Bellinger
John B. Bellinger, III, Jonathan B. Schwartz, Pierre-Richard Prosper, Bruce Swartz
Oct. 23, 2002 | WH | ACLU-RDI 4707
White House Cover Sheet re: Routing and Transmittal Slip. No additional in formation or comments.
Nov. 13, 2001 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4703
This State Department Fact Sheet on the President's establishment of Military Commissions lists talking points on addressing issues and questions that might arise. The points highlight the following: i) The Order applies only to non-U.S. ...
June 08, 2005
Non-legal Memo
George W. Bush, Donald H. Rumsfeld
Nov. 13, 2001 | WH | ACLU-RDI 4704
Presidential Military Order concerning the Detention, Treatment and Trial of Certain Non-Citizens in the War against Terrorism. The Order is the basis for the authority to apprehend, detain and place on trial via Military Commissions persons who ...
June 08, 2005
Non-legal Memo
George W. Bush
George W. Bush, Donald H. Rumsfeld
Mar. 19, 2003 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4700
State Department cable stating that the U.S. has come to an agreement to return five (5) Guantanamo detainees back to their home country. The agreement includes assurances from the receiving country that the detainees will receive humane ...
June 08, 2005
Cable
Colin L. Powell
Colin L. Powell, Ronald W. Miller, Pierre-Richard Prosper
Mar. 10, 2004 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4701
State Department email forwarded by JoAnn Dolan from Robert Harris concerning Human Rights Watch report critical of U.S. Action in Afghanistan. Mr. Harris' email has the comment "Human Rights Watch in the past few days issued a highly critical ...
May 04, 2005
Email
JoAnn J. Dolan
Eliana Davidson | Laura Parsky | David Nahmias | Patrick Philbin | Chuck Allen | Karen Hecker
JoAnn J. Dolan, Robert K. Harris, Michael G. Kozak, Mark P. Lagon, Thomas A. Johnson, Joshua L. Dorosin, Lynn M. Sicade, Charles A. Allen, Eliana Davidson, Karen L. Hecker, John B. Wiegmann, Laura H. Parsky, James A. McAtamney, David E. Nahmias, Patrick Philbin, Ronald W. Miller, Jennifer Koester, John B. Bellinger, III, Jack L. Goldsmith, William Howard Taft, IV, Steven A. Solomon, Michael T. Peay
June 08, 2005 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4702
Letter from Margaret P. Grafeld, DOS to Amrit Singh, ACLU re: the ACLU's FOIA Request. Letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
June 08, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Margaret P. Grafeld
Margaret P. Grafeld
Feb. 24, 2004 | EOP | ACLU-RDI 4697
White House memo from Alberto R. Gonzalez, Counsel to the President, concerning detention Issues in the War on Terrorism.
May 04, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Alberto Gonzalez
George W. Bush
George W. Bush, Alberto R. Gonzales, Donald H. Rumsfeld
Yaser Esam Hamdi, Jose Padilla
June 08, 2005 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4698
Letter from Margaret P. Grafeld, DOS to Amrit Singh, ACLU re: the ACLU's FOIA Request. Letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
June 08, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Margaret P. Grafeld
Margaret P. Grafeld
Mar. 18, 2003 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4699
This memo is to address questions and concerns over the status and treatment of Guantanamo detainees. The memo states that: 1) the U.S. does not permit, tolerate or condone torture; 2) Detainees get excellent medical care; 3) the Al-Qaeda ...
June 08, 2005
Cable
Colin L. Powell
Colin L. Powell, George W. Bush
July 11, 2005 | DOJ | ACLU-RDI 4695
This Dept. of Justice letter to Lawrence S. Lustberg and Megan Lewis of Gibbons, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione, P.C., Re: ACLU, et al., v. Department of Defense, et al., No. 04 Civ. 4151 (AKH) document production. Mr. Kelley's comments ...
June 08, 2005
Letter, Judicial
David N. Kelley | Sean H. Lane | Peter M. Skinner
Lawrence S. Lustberg | Megan Lewis
David N. Kelley, Sean H. Lane, Peter M. Skinner
June 08, 2005 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4696
Letter from Margaret P. Grafeld, DOS to Amrit Singh, ACLU re: the ACLU's FOIA Request. Letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
June 08, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Margaret P. Grafeld
Margaret P. Grafeld
July 07, 2004 | ACLU-RDI 4692
White House Cover Sheet re: Detainees - International Committee of the Red Cross
June 08, 2005
Letter
John Bellinger
William Howard Taft, IV | Patrick Philbin | William J. Haynes, II
John B. Bellinger, III, William J. Haynes, II, William Howard Taft, IV, Patrick Philbin
Feb. 24, 2004 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4693
Ms. Sanford attacheda document with notes on the Guantanamo detainee issue from the American Bar Association meeting of February 24, 2004 with the following comment: "Marc Bonora (an attorney at Kirkland Ellis and classmate of mine) and I ...
May 04, 2005
Email
Christina A. Sanford
Edward R. Cummings | Todd F. Buchwald | JoAnn J. Dolan
Edward R. Cummings, Todd F. Buchwald, JoAnn J. Dolan, Christina A. Sanford
June 08, 2005 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4694
Letter from Margaret P. Grafeld, DOS to Amrit Singh, ACLU re: the ACLU's FOIA Request. The letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
June 08, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Margaret P. Grafeld
Margaret P. Grafeld
May 28, 2004 | WH | ACLU-RDI 4689
White House Cover Sheet re: Agenda and Discussion Paper for PC Meeting on Detainees
June 29, 2004 | WH | ACLU-RDI 4690
White House Cover Sheet re: PC Meeting on 1 July 2004
June 03, 2004 | WH | ACLU-RDI 4691
White House Cover Sheet re: SOC for 1 Jun PC Meeting on Detainees.
May 15, 2004 | WH | ACLU-RDI 4687
White House Cover Sheet re: Transmission Receipt of SOC for PC Meeting on Detainees
May 08, 2004 | WH | ACLU-RDI 4688
White House Cover Sheet re: Agenda for 12 May PC Meeting on Detainees
Feb. 07, 2002 | WH | ACLU-RDI 4684
This White House memo discusses the treatment of detainees taken in the War on Terror and how they are to be classified and the determination of their legal status.
June 08, 2005
Non-legal Memo
George W. Bush
Richard B. Cheney | Colin L. Powell | Donald H. Rumsfeld | John D. Ashcroft | I. Lewis Libby | George Tenet | Condoleeza Rice
George W. Bush, Richard B. Cheney, Colin L. Powell, John D. Ashcroft, Donald H. Rumsfeld, Condoleeza Rice, I. Lewis Libby, George J. Tenet
May 04, 2005 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4685
Letter from Margaret P. Grafeld, DOS to Amrit Singh, ACLU re: the ACLU's FOIA Request. The letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
May 04, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Margaret P. Grafeld
Margaret P. Grafeld
June 08, 2005 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4686
Letter from Margaret P. Grafeld, DOS to Amrit Singh, ACLU re: the ACLU's FOIA Request. Letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
June 08, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Margaret P. Grafeld
Margaret P. Grafeld
June 08, 2005 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4682
Letter from Margaret P. Grafeld, DOS to Amrit Singh, ACLU re: the ACLU's FOIA Request. Letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
June 08, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Margaret P. Grafeld
Margaret P. Grafeld
Sept. 23, 2004 | WH | ACLU-RDI 4683
White House Cover Sheet re: Transmission Receipt of SOC Meeting on Detainees
Nov. 07, 2002 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4680
Email from Laurel Miller with the following comment "rom detainee policy working group at OSD just called to give us the heads up a sensitive and potentially inflammatory photos of detainees being moved by aircraft in theater are now circulating ...
June 08, 2005
Email
Laurel E. Miller
JoAnn J. Dolan | David L. Scott | Brian H. Leventhal | Atul Keshap | Kara L. Bue | Geeta Pasi
Laurel E. Miller, JoAnn J. Dolan, David L. Scott, Brian H. Leventhal, Atul Keshap, Kara L. Bue, Geeta Pasi
Feb. 06, 2002 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4681
State Department email concerning a meeting of the Army General Counsel and a briefing on the legal status and possible release of the Guantanamo detainees.
May 04, 2005
Email
William T. Harris
Gregory M. Suchan | William T. Harris | Lincoln P. Bloomfield
William T. Harris, Lincoln P. Bloomfield, William T. Harris
June 08, 2005 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4678
Letter from Margaret P. Grafeld, DOS to Amrit Singh, ACLU re: the ACLU's FOIA Request. The letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
June 08, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Margaret P. Grafeld
Margaret P. Grafeld
Apr. 04, 2003 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4679
Emails between Mathew Waxman and Amb. Prosper concering a meeting on the detainees. The comments from Mr. Waxman are "Am I correct that what we need -- and I think this is what Pierre was recommending -- is a one-page sheet BEFORE we get to these ...
June 08, 2005
Email
Mathew C. Waxman
Pierre-Richard Prosper
Pierre-Richard Prosper, Matthew C. Waxman, JoAnn J. Dolan, Ronald W. Miller
Oct. 28, 2002 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4675
State Department email with attached press guidance concerning the possible release of some Guantanamo detainees.
May 04, 2005
Email
JoAnn J. Dolan
Joshua L. Dorosin | Edward R. Cummings | William Howard Taft, IV | Todd F. Buchwald | Andre M. Surena
JoAnn J. Dolan, Joshua L. Dorosin, Edward R. Cummings, William Howard Taft, IV, Todd F. Buchwald, Andre M. Surena, Ronald W. Miller
June 08, 2005 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4676
Letter from Margaret P. Grafeld, DOS to Amrit Singh, ACLU re: the ACLU's FOIA Request. The letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
June 08, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Margaret P. Grafeld
Margaret P. Grafeld
May 04, 2005 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4677
Letter from Margaret P. Grafeld, DOS to Amrit Singh, ACLU re: the ACLU's FOIA Request. The letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
May 04, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Margaret P. Grafeld
Margaret P. Grafeld
Sept. 02, 2002 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4672
State Department memorandum providing background on the Prime Minister's agenda and visit with President Bush at Camp David.
May 04, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Elizabeth Jones
Colin L. Powell
George W. Bush
June 08, 2005 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4673
Letter from Margaret P. Grafeld, DOS to Amrit Singh, ACLU re: the ACLU's FOIA Request. The letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
June 08, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Margaret P. Grafeld
Margaret P. Grafeld
June 17, 2004 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4674
State Department cover sheet for delivery of documents re: PCC Meeting on Detainees
June 08, 2005
Other
John Bellinger
JoAnn J. Dolan | Pierre-Richard Prosper | Anthony Fortune
John B. Bellinger, III, JoAnn J. Dolan, Pierre-Richard Prosper, Ronald W. Miller, Anthony Fortune, Jay Alan Liotta, Bruce Swartz, Diane E. Beaver, Eliana Davidson, Patrick Rowan
June 08, 2005 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4670
Letter from Margaret P. Grafeld, DOS to Amrit Singh, ACLU re: the ACLU's FOIA Request. Letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
June 08, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Margaret P. Grafeld
Margaret P. Grafeld
Jan. 22, 2004 | WH | ACLU-RDI 4671
Cover page for document to be delivered to administration personnel concerning the January 22, 2004 PCC meeting on detainees.
June 08, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Bruce Swartz, Pierre-Richard Prosper, JoAnn J. Dolan, William Howard Taft, IV, Eliana Davidson, John B. Wiegmann
June 03, 2004 | Non-US | ACLU-RDI 4667
This letter is a response from the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bill Graham to Dennis Edney of Edley, Hattersley & Dolphin concerning a Guantanamo detainee Omar Ahmed Khadr, who is a Canadian citizen. Mr. Graham acknowledges Mr. Edney's ...
June 08, 2005
Letter
Bill Graham
Dennis Edney
Omar Ahmed Khadr
June 03, 2004 | Non-US | ACLU-RDI 4668
This letter is a response from the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bill Graham to Nathan J. Whitling of Parke McLaws Barristers & Solicitors, concerning a Guantanamo detainee Omar Ahmed Khadr, who is a Canadian citizen. Mr. Graham ...
June 08, 2005
Letter
Bill Graham
Nathan J. Whitling
Omar Ahmed Khadr
May 04, 2005 | ACLU-RDI 4669
Letter from Margaret P. Grafeld, DOS to Amrit Singh, ACLU re: the ACLU's FOIA Request. The letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
May 04, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Margaret P. Grafeld
Margaret P. Grafeld
Aug. 11, 2004 | ODNI | Non-US | ACLU-RDI 4665
This letter from Nathan J. Whitling, an attorney representing Omar Ahmed Khadr, a Guantanamo Bay Detainee and a Canadian citizen. Mr. Whitling states "we must express our grave concern in relation to the issues raised by these allegations of the ...
June 08, 2005
Letter
Nathan J. Whitling
Bill Graham
Omar Ahmed Khadr
Feb. 09, 2004 | Non-US | ACLU-RDI 4666
This letter is a follow-up to previous letters sent to Canadian Foreign Affairs officials concerning Mr. Omar Ahmed Khadr, a Guantanamo Bay Detainee. The letter requests that the Canadian Department of Foreign. Affairs and International Trade ...
June 08, 2005
Letter
Nathan J. Whitling
Bill Graham
Omar Ahmed Khadr
Feb. 19, 2004 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4662
State Department memo concerning an upcoming meeting between President Bush and Russian President Putin. Ms. Jones comments are "State-drafted annotated version of the Camp David Action Checklist approved by President Bush and President Putin in ...
May 18, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Elizabeth Jones
George W. Bush, Elizabeth Jones
May 04, 2005 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4663
Letter from Margaret P. Grafeld, DOS to Amrit Singh, ACLU re: the ACLU's FOIA Request. The letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
May 04, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Margaret P. Grafeld
Margaret P. Grafeld
June 08, 2005 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4664
Letter from Margaret P. Grafeld, DOS to Amrit Singh, ACLU re: the ACLU's FOIA Request. Letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
June 08, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Margaret P. Grafeld
Margaret P. Grafeld
July 08, 2003 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4659
Discussion of the President's classification of six detainees as enemy combatants. Discusses the government's treatment of individuals classified as enemy combatants and how they will be tried, if tried.
May 04, 2005
Cable
Ronald W. Miller
May 11, 2004 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4660
Hand written note from Colin Powell to Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz concerning a note from UK Foreign Minister Jack Straw.
May 18, 2005
Notes
Colin L. Powell
Donald H. Rumsfeld | Paul Wolfowitz
Colin L. Powell, Donald H. Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Condoleeza Rice, George J. Tenet
May 04, 2005 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4661
Letter from Margaret P. Grafeld, DOS to Amrit Singh, ACLU re: the ACLU's FOIA Request. The letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
May 04, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Margaret P. Grafeld
Margaret P. Grafeld
Oct. 31, 2002 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4657
This cable contains talking points to address the status of these citizens being held at Guantanamo. The cable goes on to state; 1) The U.S. government cannot address specific questions about specific detainees at this time; 2) all detainees are ...
Feb. 19, 2004 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4658
State Department memo re: Subject: PCC Meeting. Mr. Hoffman's comments are "SUBJECT: PCC Meeting Please transmit the attached memorandum to principals of the Policy Coordination Committee (PCC) on Europe and Eurasia." No additional comments.
May 18, 2005
Letter
Karl Hofmann
Gregory L. Schulte | I. Lewis Libby | V. Philip Lago | Paul W. Curry | James N. Solit
Karl W. Hofmann, Gregory L. Schulte, I. Lewis Libby, V. Philip Lago, Paul W. Curry, James N. Solit, David W. Szady, Laura L. Flippin , James A. McAtamney, William P. Marriott, Edward W. Snead, Fred Schwien, Douglas Aller, David Hegwood, Ann Agnew, Dianna Campagna, Michael F. O'Brien