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)

Letter and fax cover sheet from Amnesty International's Program Director, Susan Lee, to Colin L. Powell. The letter refers to another letter that discusses the treatment of Al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects in U.S. custody in Afghanistan [that letter ...
Nov. 23, 2004
Letter
Colin L. Powell
Colin L. Powell, Frank E. Schmelzer
Army memo with a chronology of detainee/guard interactions and issues that were experienced. Does not appear to be official, but contains details of everyday goings on at the detention camp during January 5, 2002 through February 13, 2002.
DOS Memo re: Talking Points on Military Tribunals and Due Process for Terrorists, Insurgents, and Others Engaged in Subversive Activities. The memo covers the military tribunals that are to be used to try terrorists, insurgents, or civilians ...
State Department cable concerning the government of Sweden releasing "Report on the State of Human Rights Worldwide and in the U.S." The Report covers the Israel/Palestinian conflict and is critical of Israel. The Swedish Foreign Minister was ...
Standard Operating Procedures for when a detainee dies in custody, including how to report to chain of command and how to document the death.
This 2002 cable requests that IC Psychologist James Mitchell remain at the undisclosed location in order to provide continued assistance in the Abu Zubaydah interrogation. The cable states that Mitchell's role is "key" and they need him there to ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
CTC/UBL
James Mitchell
Abu Zubaydah
SERE, Use of water, Waterboarding
This email discusses the sending and drafting of a cable requesting that Psychologist James Mitchell stay at the undisclosed location. This email asks that the cable not be sent until it is determined whether enhanced measures will need to be taken.
Dec. 20, 2016
Email
James Mitchell
Abu Zubaydah
EIT
State Department Action Cable with talking points about detentions at Guantanamo Bay of Al-Queada terrorists.
Nov. 23, 2004
Cable
Edward H. Goff
State Department interagency delivery checklist for the appropriate handling and delivery of attached documents re: Summary of Conclusions from the Principals Committee Meeting on Terrorism December 20, 2001.
Email from John Cerone to David Bowker forwarding an article (in body) by Cerone on the "Status of deatinees in international armed conflict, and their protection in the course of criminal proceedings."
Jan. 12, 2005
Email
John Cerone
David W. Bowker
David W. Bowker