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
Jan. 11, 2002 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 3774
This State Department cable provides talking points concerning informing foreign governments about the transfer of their citizens/nationals to Guantanamo after they were picked-up on the battle field of Afghanistan. The cable instructs the ...
Dec. 30, 2004
Cable
Colin L. Powell
Colin L. Powell, Brent E. Blaschke , Pierre-Richard Prosper
Jan. 11, 2002 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 3806
State Department notification to foreign governments of pending transfer of detainees to Guantanamo of their citizens. The cable gives the talking points that the transfer is to ensure safety and security of coalition forces and the detainees. ...
Dec. 30, 2004
Cable
Colin L. Powell, Evan T. Bloom
Jan. 11, 2002 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4636
Initial email mentions the treatment of Al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects in US custody in Afghanistan.
Nov. 23, 2004
Email
Charmaine D. Coleman
Adrian Daniel | Lynda M. Walker-Johnson
Charmaine D. Coleman, Lynda M. Walker-Johnson, Adrian Daniel, Colin L. Powell, Jonathan S. Carpenter, Maria B. Pica, Christopher Sibilla, Frank E. Schmelzer
Jan. 12, 2002 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 1807
This is a statement by a Sergeant interrogator/translator who reported four incidents of potential detainee abuse that he witnessed or were related to him by detainees. The first incident of possible detainee abuse was the rough handling of a ...
Dec. 21, 2005
Investigative File, Interview (Statement)
Physical assault, General, Stress positions, Forced physical training
Jan. 14, 2002 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 3573
State Department cable with talking points concerning non-Afghani detainees picked-up on the battlefield of Afghanistan. The cable describes how the US intends to treat the legal status and prosecution of the detainees and appears to give ...
Jan. 14, 2002 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 3611
No relevant text.
Jan. 14, 2002 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4341
State department Embassy cable informing Washington that they have informed a Foreign Affairs Minister of the transfer of some of his nation's citizens to Guantanamo. The Foreign Minister expressed concern over the reports of detainee’s abuse, ...
Dec. 17, 2004
Cable
Colin L. Powell
Colin L. Powell
Jan. 15, 2002 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 3671
State Department talking points memo on addressing the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo. The memo poses potential questions and answers to be given in response.
Dec. 02, 2004
Non-legal Memo
David A. Kaye, Evan T. Bloom
Jan. 15, 2002 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 3689
DOS Memo re: Talking Points on Guantanamo Detainees Treatment and Status. Memo states i) all detainees are treated humanely; ii) they are very dangerous people; iii) International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) has access to them; and iv) ...
Jan. 15, 2002 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 3690
DOS Memo re: Talking Points on Guantanamo Detainees Treatment and Status. Memo states i) all detainees are treated humanely; ii) they are given three (3) culturally appropriate meals a day; iii) International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) ...