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 (29)

This redacted memo, sent from HQS/ALEC to the CIA, explains that the interrogation process with Abu Zubaydah is "at somewhat of a standstill" and presents options for proceeding in such a way that increases pressure on Zubaydah to provide ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
EIT, Threat, Family/others, Cramped confinement
This is a moderately redacted cable which summarizes the mechanics and legal basis for use of enhanced interrogation techniques on detainees. The cable states that "our attorneys have presented our legal analysis to the legal adviser to the NSC, ...
This August 3, 2002 cable provides authorization to implement more aggressive techniques in the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah, including the use of the water board and mock burial, as described in this cable. The cable also provides information ...
This May 2002 cable serves as a "reaffirmation" of headquarters consent for the use of the confinement box and the restrictions surrounding its use. The cable also authorizes the use of the box with Abu Zubaydah.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
Cramped confinement
This CIA cable describes the phase of Abu Zubaydah's interrogation and states that he underwent confinement, walling and the waterboard during his initial cycle of interrogations. The cable also describes his general behavior in his cell as well ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
EIT, Use of water, Waterboarding, Physical assault, Walling, Cramped confinement
This April 2002 cable is redacted almost in full with the exception of a paragraph that questions the effectiveness of the confinement box on Abu Zubaydah, recognizing that it had a history of demonstrated effectiveness in the SERE program.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
SERE, Cramped confinement
This cable details the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah that took place on August 5, 2002 at the which the IC SERE psychologists were present. This interrogation included the use of walling, the water board, attention grab, confinement box, hooding, ...
This cable details the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah that took place on August 6, 2002. This interrogation included the use of walling, waterboarding "numerous times", attention grab, insult slap, confinement box, and hooding. The cable states ...
This cable discusses the preparation for Abu Zubaydah's upcoming interrogation phase and details his condition on day 30 of the isolation phase.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
Physical assault, Walling, Cramped confinement, Isolation
This August 2002 cable regarding Abu Zubaydah's interrogation is largely redacted with the exception of one paragraph that addresses restrictions on the use of the confinement box due to Abu Zubaydah's leg wound.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
Cramped confinement