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.
(A CIA affidavit states that this was a 1-page memo dated Aug. 4, 2004 from CIA to OLC and that it contained "communications from the CIA to OLC on a matter in which the CIA requested legal advice from OLC.") The document ...
This is a heavily redacted version of an OLC memo later released in less-redacted form (at ACLU-RDI 4548). This unredacted portions of this version of the memo from the OLC to the CIA discuss the anti-torture statute 18 U.S.C. 2340, ...
Heavily redacted memo from DCI to Nat'l Sec. Advisor (4pgs) and memo from GC to DCI (1pg) with routers. Refers to DOJ's 2002 authorization for the CIA to employ certain techniques on certain high-value detainees (HVDs), and mentions waterboarding.
Draft document with attachments describing "permissible interrogation techniques" and necessary approval for those techniques. The document also mentions waterboarding.
A heavily redacted memorandum from the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence to the Deputy Director for Operations, the DCI Counterterrorist Center, and Senior Deputy General Counsel re the Interrogation of Abu Zabaydah.
Heavily redacted report regarding the "successful raid and capture of Abu Zubaydah". The document references the use of waterboarding during Abu Zabaydah interrogations. The document also mentions that waterboarding was used in the interrogation ...
A heavily redacted summary of an interview by the CIA's Office of the Inspector General, of Scott W. Muller, the CIA's general counsel. The interview summary discusses viewing videotapes, the approval of waterboarding during the interrogation ...
A heavily redacted cable from the field to CIA headquarters relating to the status of Abu Zubaydah. The unredated portions refer to the waterboarding of Abu Zubaydah.
A heavily redacted version of a report authored by the CIA's Office of the Inspector General. The report was later released in less-redacted form. It discusses the CIA's use of the "enhanced interrogation techniques," ...
State Department cable originating from the embassy in Baghdad describing CPA Administrator Paul Bremer's meeting with Samarra community leaders. Their meeting included discussions of concerns over security and treatment of detainees in Iraq.
DOJ letter regarding ACLU, et al., v. Department of Defense, et al., which states that the CIA has re-reviewed documents concerning waterboarding and produced redacted versions of some of those documents. Letter also mentions that on May 12, ...
This legal memo from the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) of the Justice Department to the Department of Defense analyzes the legal standards governing military interrogations of "alien unlawful combatans" held outside the United ...
This document is a "CaseMaps Facts report" providing information on an interview with Charles Frahm. It provides dates and times, summaries, and sources for all statements. The interviewee states that he did not observe an improper behavior from ...
530th Military Police Battalion-Camp Ashraf Mission Brief/PowerPoint presentation on the rights of enemy prisoners of war (EPWs). The presentation includes Geneva Convention articles and principles, which discuss the proper treatment of EPWs.
News article about a German television news report that reported the torture and killing of an Iraqi prisoner by US soldiers at a US military base in Al Asad West, Baghdad, Iraq. The news program, Spiegel TV, reported that a 47 year old Iraqi, ...
Executive Summary discussing the U.S. Southern Command's request to use additional interrogation techniques. On April 16, 2003, the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, approved the following techniques: change of scenery down, which was ...
The general scope of the email is the treatment of detainees, enemy prisoners of war (EPWs) and 'illegal combatants.' The author mentioned that he/she did not believe a particular team was following the rules outlined in Army Regulation 190-8. ...
The Joint Interrogation Debriefing Center's interrogation standing operating procedures, among other rules and principles, it provides an interrogation code of conduct.
Emails discuss mistreatment of detainees at Guantanamo (GTMO), the author would like the recipient, who was assigned to GTMO, to respond with any information related to detainee abuse.
Memorandum to General Geoffrey Miller regarding Secretary of Defense (SECDEF), Donald Rumsfeld's memorandum. The memo to Gen. Miller seeks clarification on the use of certain techniques, including a concern about the removal of the Koran from ...
Major General Michael Dunlavey was interviewed regarding his knowledge of detainee abuse at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (GTMO). MG Dunlavey arrived to GTMO on or about December 13, 2002 as the Commander of the Joint Task Force-170. In regards to ...
DOD interview of a FBI Special Agent, the interviewee was stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (GTMO) from February 2002 to February 2003 as a FBI Special Agent. The Special Agent stated that he/she heard of military interrogators impersonating FBI ...
DOD interview of FBI Behavioral Specialist who toured though Guantanamo from October 21, 2002 though January 7, 2003. The Behavioral Specialist stated that he did not see the use of Military Working Dogs (MWDs) but did hear detainees complaining ...
An email from an FBI agent responding to a question about alleged abuse at Guantanamo Bay. The agent stated that he was stationed at Guantanamo Bay from June 2, 2003 to July 17, 2004. During the agent's time at GTMO, he/she occasionally ...
FBI Interviewed the Special Agent regarding his assignment to Guantanamo Bay. The agent was assigned to Guantanamo Bay as an interrogator from June 2, 2003 to July 17, 2003. During that time, the interviewee occasionally observed DOD personnel ...
Interview of FBI Official-member of the Behavioral Science Division, interviewee was stationed at Guantanamo, Bay from mid-September 2002 until the end of October 2002. The agent stated that he witnessed at least three incidents of abuse, ...
DOD interview of a former Staff Judge Advocate regarding her knowledge of detainee abuse at Guantanamo (GTMO). The former SJA was stationed at GTMO from June 2002 to June 2003. The former SJA recalled learning of an incident where a detainee's ...
Emails discuss detainee abuse at Guantanamo Bay. In the original message, the author states that they observed aggressive treatment that was personally upsetting to the author, they added that treatment was perpetrated by military personnel and ...
Telephonic interview of former Guantanamo Bay (GTMO) interrogator. The interrogator was assigned to GTMO for two months, February and March of 2003 and stated that during that time she did not witness any incidents she believed were inconsistent ...
Interview of FBI Supervisory Special Agent in Charge (SSAC) on their knowledge of detainee abuse at Guantanamo Bay (GTMO). The SSAC was assigned to GTMO on two separate occasions, the first was from June 25, 2002 to August 2002 and from August ...
Interview (conducted via email) of a former Psychiatrist with the Behavioral Science Consultation Team (BSCT). The interviewee witnessed the use of dogs during the interrogation of a detainee, and observed female interrogators using sexual ...
Major General Geoffrey D. Miller was the Commanding General for the Joint Task Force in Guantanamo Bay (GTMO) from November 4, 2002 to March 26, 2004. He was interviewed regarding his knowledge of detainee abuse at GTMO. He mentioned that his ...
Document appears to be a PowerPoint presentation that explains appropriate interrogation tactics, techniques and procedures. Topics include use of an interpreter and interrogation planning and preparing. [Contents redacted].