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
Feb. 07, 2003 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 6818
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.
Feb. 10, 2003 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 3930
This State Department Cable is entitled "Subject: February 6 Transfer of Detainees to Guantanamo". There is no other discernible information or context.
Feb. 10, 2003 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 3939
This State Department cable provides talking points for US mission & Embassy officials to inform foreign governments about the transfer of their citizens/nationals to Guantanamo after they were picked-up on the battle field of Afghanistan. It ...
Dec. 30, 2004
Cable
Colin L. Powell
Colin L. Powell, Richard A. Boucher, Pierre-Richard Prosper, Ronald W. Miller
Feb. 11, 2003 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 2455
Email between DOD officials discussing development of an Interrogation Policy and tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP).
Feb. 11, 2003 | Legislative | ACLU-RDI 4650
This Letter from Senator Jeff Bingaman, (D-NM) is an inquiry to State Department Under Secretary for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky concerning a Washington Post article published on December 26, 2002 which described U.S. interrogation methods ...
Dec. 02, 2004
Letter
Jeff Bingaman
Paula Dobriansky
Jesse Francis Bingaman, Jr., Paula J. Dobriansky
Feb. 12, 2003 | USAF | FBI | ACLU-RDI 1885
Memo summarizes the interview of a Camp Delta detainee. The interview was conducted by two Special Agents with the Air Force (AFOSI) and the FBI, also, a Pashtu linguist was present to translate. The detainee explained that he previously lied to ...
Dec. 21, 2005
Interview (Summaries/Notes)
Physical assault, General
Feb. 20, 2003 | FBI | ACLU-RDI 3430
Interview of detainee at Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay. The detainee initially refused to leave his cell for the interview, but was then brought to the interview room my Military MP's. The detainee complained about his conditions at Guantanamo and ...
Feb. 22, 2003 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 923
February 21, 2003 Meeting with the International Committee of the Red Cross. Contents redacted.
Mar. 03, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Geoffrey D. Miller, W. Scott Cummings, Adolph McQueen
Feb. 24, 2003 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4106
Emails between Eric Pelofsky, Joshua L. Dorosin", JoAnn Dolan and Catherine Brown on a paper the Sec. of State concerning the Guantanamo detainees. The comments are "One minor suggestion" for attached "Secy's Appropriations Testimony." and ...
Dec. 30, 2004
Email
Catherine W. Brown
Joshua L. Dorosin | JoAnn J. Dolan | Eric J. Pelofsky
Colin L. Powell, Catherine W. Brown, Eric J. Pelofsky, Joshua L. Dorosin, JoAnn J. Dolan, Mirta Alvarez
Feb. 25, 2003 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 992
Autopsy No: A02-95. 35-year-old Afghan male civilian detainee was found unresponsive and retained in his cell and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the 339th CSH, Bagram Air Field. Cause of Death: Blunt force injuries to lower extremities ...
Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Autopsy, Death Certificate)
Physical assault, General