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 document, prepared by the Chief of Medical Services, summarizes and reflects upon the rendition, detention and interrogation program. The findings include that in a particular no evidence was found that the use of waterboard produced ...
November 2001 memo from Yoo and Delahunty to Gonzales summarizing treaties and laws applicable to the conflict in Afghanistan and to the treatment of persons captured by U.S. Armed Forces.
Dec. 15, 2009
Legal Memo
John C. Yoo
Alberto R. Gonzales
Alberto R. Gonzales, John Yoo, Robert J. Delahunty, George W. Bush
Annex A: Some Publicly Known Deaths of Detainees in U.S. Custody in Afghanistan and Iraq
Expert Declaration of Prof. Kevin Jon Heller in Salim v. Mitchell
Nov. 21, 2016
Other
Kevin Heller
Suleiman Abdullah Salim, Mohamed Ahmed Ben Soud , Obaidullah
EIT, SERE
This series of letters contains the original inquiry from Macbeth Bertrand Henry, President of the Commission on Children's Rights about juvenile detainees in Guantanamo Bay prison. The response letter from Pierre-Richard Prosper asserts that ...
May 15, 2012
Letter
Pierre-Richard Prosper
Macbeth Bertrand-Henry
This document contains a chart labeled "Detainees-Limited Access" from the National Security Council Distribution Receipt West Wing Desk. The chart contains a list of government officials under the "addressee" column.
This February 7, 2002 memorandum announces to the vice president, secretary of state, attorney general, CIA director, and others that the President accepts the legal conclusions of the Department of Justice that the Geneva Conventions do not ...
May 15, 2012
Non-legal Memo
George W. Bush
Richard B. Cheney
Colin L. Powell, Condoleeza Rice, Jay B. Stephens, Andrew Card, George J. Tenet, Richard B. Myers
This document contains a citizen's letter to President Bush voicing disapproval that Afghan prisoners are not treated like prisoners of war and includes an attached article from the San Francisco Chronicle. The document also contains an August ...
May 15, 2012
Letter
George W. Bush
Anne Crowther
This attached fax cover sheet and letter is a response from Director Gerald Feierstein to Mr. and Mrs. Sturtevant's January 31, 2002 letter concerning the Bush Administration's policy with respect to the detention of enemy combatants captured in ...
May 15, 2012
Letter, Other
Gerald Feierstein [nid:12179]
Mr. and Mrs. Sturtevant
Gerald Feierstein, Anne Crowther
This is a memo from the Chief of the White House Liaison Section, Executive Services Division, Washington Headquarters Services, DOD to the National Security Council Records Management Office reporting that the "Under Secretary of Defense for ...
This memo from John C. Yoo, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, to the President of the American Bar Association provides the legal justification for the treatment of U.S. Civilians as Enemy Combatants, specifically regarding their lack of right ...
Jan. 07, 2009
Non-legal Memo
John C. Yoo
William J. Haynes, II
Robert Hirshon , Alfred P. Carlton Jr.
This heavily redacted cable discusses a meeting at Embassy Suva to discuss a relocation/asylum proposal. The memo also discusses a meeting between Ambassador McGann and New Zealand High Commissioner to Kiribati Robert Kawai to discuss assistance ...
May 15, 2012
Cable
American Embassy Suva
Secstate
C. Steven McGann
This memo from Paul Wolfowitz, US Deputy Secretary of Defense, to the Attorney General and the directors of the CIA and FBI provides notes and talking points on the most dangerous enemy combatants detained at Guantanamo to provide to the press in ...
Dec. 15, 2009
Non-legal Memo
Paul Wolfowitz
Alberto R. Gonzales | John McLaughlin | James B. Comey
Geoffrey D. Miller, Paul W. Butler
Abu Zubaydah
This is a chart which lists 384 detainees of the US government; everything but their names, the dates of ARB completion, and their home countries are redacted.
This memo from Donald Rumsfeld to Stephen Hadley, Cheney, Gonzales, Rice, and Dan Bartlett provides a set of metrics for detention operations through July 20, 2005.
Dec. 15, 2009
Non-legal Memo
Donald H. Rumsfeld
Stephen Hadley
Richard B. Cheney, Alberto R. Gonzales, Condoleeza Rice, Daniel Bartlett
Deposition transcript volume II of Suleiman Abdullah Salim for Salim v. Mitchell litigation.
Judicial (Transcript)
James Mitchell , Bruce Jessen
Suleiman Abdullah Salim
EIT
Deposition transcript volume I of Suleiman Abdullah Salim for Salim v. Mitchell litigation.
Judicial (Transcript)
James Mitchell , Bruce Jessen
Suleiman Abdullah Salim
EIT
Deposition transcript volume II of Mohamed Ahmed Ben Soud for Salim v. Mitchell litigation.
Judicial (Transcript)
James Mitchell , Bruce Jessen
Mohamed Ahmed Ben Soud
EIT
Deposition transcript volume I of Mohamed Ahmed Ben Soud for Salim v. Mitchell litigation.
Judicial (Transcript)
James Mitchell , Bruce Jessen
Mohamed Ahmed Ben Soud
EIT
Deposition transcript of John "Bruce" Jessen for Salim v. Mitchell litigation.
Judicial (Transcript)
Bruce Jessen
EIT, SERE
Deposition transcript of Obaid Ullah (as personal representative of Gul Rahman) for Salim v. Mitchell litigation.
Judicial (Transcript)
James Mitchell , Bruce Jessen
Gul Rahman
EIT
Deposition transcript of James Mitchell for Salim v. Mitchell litigation.
Judicial (Transcript)
James Mitchell
EIT, SERE
Deposition transcript of Jose Rodriguez for Salim v. Mitchell litigation.
Judicial (Transcript)
Jose Rodriguez
EIT
Deposition transcript of John A. Rizzo for Salim v. Mitchell litigation.
Judicial (Transcript)
John A. Rizzo
EIT
This memorandum authored by Bruce Jessen and others to Col. Coomey on February 28, 2002 includes specific recommendations for interrogation procedures based on conditions at Camp X-Ray. The memorandum contains "Cardinal Pre-Conditions for ...
Feb. 03, 2017
Non-legal Memo
Bruce Jessen
Bruce Jessen
EIT, Isolation, Environmental manipulation, Other Humiliation
This Joint Personnel Recovery Agency Draft Exploitation Plan crafted by Bruce Jessen and others in 2002 proposed the creation of a secret military interrogation facility abroad. The plan details personnel requirements, strategies for ...
Non-legal Memo
Bruce Jessen
EIT, Isolation, Dietary manipulation, Environmental manipulation
These slides contain part two of a two-part presentation given by Dr. Bruce Jessen to future interrogators at Guantanamo Bay on how to overcome Al-Qa'ida Resistance based on "recently obtained Al-Qa'ida Documents."
Feb. 03, 2017
Chart/List, Other
Bruce Jessen
EIT, Threat, Isolation, Other Humiliation, Other
These slides contain part one of a two-part presentation given by Dr. Bruce Jessen to future interrogators at Guantanamo Bay on how to overcome Al-Qa'ida Resistance based on "recently obtained Al-Qa'ida Documents."
Feb. 03, 2017
Chart/List, Other
Bruce Jessen
EIT, Threat, Assault/death, Family/others, Isolation, Other Humiliation, Other
These slides contain the second section of a two-part presentation given by Dr. Bruce Jessen to train American interrogators headed to Guantanamo Bay on how to extract information from detainees. This section also includes specific strategies ...
Feb. 03, 2017
Chart/List, Other
Bruce Jessen
These slides contain the first section of a two-part presentation given by Dr. Bruce Jessen to train American interrogators headed to Guantanamo Bay on how to extract information from detainees.
Feb. 03, 2017
Chart/List, Other
Bruce Jessen
EIT, Isolation, Environmental manipulation
A letter from Jack Goldsmith to Scott Muller regarding the CIA Inspector General's Special Review of the CIA's interrogation program. The letter expresses concern at the fact that, according to the Special Review, aspects of the CIA's ...
Aug. 31, 2016
Legal Memo
Jack L. Goldsmith
Scott W. Muller
Jack L. Goldsmith, Scott W. Muller, John A. Rizzo
EIT, Use of water, Waterboarding
Letter from Daniel Levin to John Rizzo discussing whether the use of twelve interrogation techniques in the interrogation of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani would violate any U.S. statute, the U.S. Constitution, or any treaty obligation of the U.S.
A letter providing legal advice regarding whether the conditions of detention at certain overseas CIA facilities are consistent with the applicable standards of the DTA. It concludes that the conditions of confinement did not constitute "cruel, ...
An OLC memo addressing whether certain enhanced interrogation techniques used by the CIA are consistent with the United States's obligations under Article 16 of the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading ...
An OLC memo to the CIA addressing whether the use of "twelve particular interrogation techniques (attention grasp, walling, facial hold, facial slap (insult slap), cramped confinement, wall standing, stress positions, sleep deprivation, dietary ...
An OLC memo to the CIA addressing whether the use of "twelve particular interrogation techniques (attention grasp, walling, facial hold, facial slap (insult slap), cramped confinement, wall standing, stress positions, sleep deprivation, dietary ...
Aug. 31, 2016
Legal Memo
Daniel B. Levin
John A. Rizzo
An OLC memo concluding that the CIA’s proposed interrogation plan for Abu Zubaydah — which contemplates methods including “insects placed in a confinement box” and “the waterboard” — does not violate the torture statute.
Index of DOJ advice on interrogations, including OLC memos, letters, testimony.
This memo discusses and summarizes the OLC opinions issued in 2002 and 2003 about the legal standards for interrogations of detainees.
Aug. 31, 2016
Legal Memo, Non-legal Memo
Abu Zubaydah
EIT
This April 2002 cable provides an updated interrogation plan for Abu Zubaydah, which includes descriptions of the physical environment, security measures, and interrogation process, including the use of interrogation techniques.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
Cramped confinement, Sleep deprivation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Temperature
This heavily redacted CIA cable states that in anticipation of a CIA site operating without a high value detainee psychologist on site, Bruce Jessen is requested to prepare an operational handbook on detainee management.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Bruce Jessen
This March 2004 paper written by James Mitchell and John Jessen discusses the importance of knowing how human memory works for intelligence collection efforts. The paper also includes some interrogation and debriefing techniques to employ on ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Non-legal Memo
James Mitchell and John Jessen
James Mitchell , Bruce Jessen
This e-mail includes a draft of interrogation training documents for a CIA course with a note concerning Dr. James Mitchell and Dr. Bruce Jessen's role in an upcoming presentation. The draft notes are redacted and are labeled "CIA High Value ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Email
James Mitchell , Bruce Jessen
SERE
This is a heavily redacted email sent to students who "have been selected/invited to attend/support the CTC/RDG Interrogators and Debriefers courses." The only unredacted information in the email (other than Mitchell and Jessen's names) is ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Email
Bruce Jessen, James Mitchell
This CIA e-mail contains a summary of Dr. James Mitchell's experience and education.
Dec. 20, 2016
Email
James Mitchell
SERE
This November 2006 cable lists the personnel involved with the detainee program who have acknowledged reading and understanding the "Guidelines on Confinement Conditions for CIA Detainees". The list includes James Mitchell.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
James Mitchell
This is an email which provides electronic copies "of the CTC/RDG Interrogator Course Critiques." This course was taught by Mitchell, Jessen, and one other redacted official, and the critiques come from "interrogator graduates" and an OMS ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Email, Other
James Mitchell , Bruce Jessen
This CIA cable recommends the continuation of the interrogation/debriefing process, particularly for Abu Zubaydah and mentions the psychologists James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
James Mitchell , Bruce Jessen
Abu Zubaydah
This cable includes the contents of Abu Zubaydah's April 2004 mental status exam and December 2003 psychological assesment conducted by Mitchell and Jessen.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable, Medical
Bruce Jessen, James Mitchell
Abu Zubaydah
This is an email (with sender and receiver redacted) sending a final draft of the CIA High Value Target Interrogation and Exploitation (HVTIE) Team Training document. The postscript note in the email mentions Mitchell and Jessen by name and ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Email
James Mitchell , Bruce Jessen
SERE