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 (129)

RelevanceDateRelease Date
June 07, 2004 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4070

Emails discuss and include a Wall Street Journal article entitled "Pentagon Report Set Framework for Use of Torture: Security or Legal Factors Could Trump Restrictions, Memo to Rumsfeld Argued." The article discusses a classified ...

Dec. 30, 2004
Email
Robert K. Harris
Edward R. Cummings | Samuel M. Witten | Tom Malionek | Jonathan B. Schwartz
Donald H. Rumsfeld, George W. Bush, James T. Hill, Condoleeza Rice, Patrick Leahy, William J. Haynes, II, Thomas Malionek, William J. Gehron, Robert K. Harris, Edward R. Cummings, Samuel M. Witten, Michael G. Kozak, James H. Thessin, Jonathan B. Schwartz, William Howard Taft, IV, Robert E. Dalton, Katherine M. Gorove, Lois L. Allder, Daphne W. Cook, Darlyce M. Eley
Threat, Family/others, Stress positions, Sleep deprivation, Dietary manipulation, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual, Religious
Nov. 17, 2004 | CID | ACLU-RDI 116

An investigation into allegations by an Iraqi detinee that interrogators hand- and leg-cuffed him to the floor and pushed him over while blindfolded, causing severe pain and nerve bruising in his wrist. the investigation concluded that there ...

Jan. 31, 2005
Investigative File (CID)
Jacqueline J. Scott, John Peterson
Physical assault, General, Stress positions, Isolation, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling
Apr. 30, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 425

Letter from Detainee's counsel to Army Claims Service for alleged abuse, torture and other mistreatment by U.S. Army in Iraq. The attorney is making the claim under the Military Claimns ack and seeks compensation in excess of $100,000.00. The ...

Feb. 28, 2005
Legal Memo, Letter
Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, General, Assault/death, Rendition, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Isolation, Threat
May 31, 2004 | CID | ACLU-RDI 152
A CID investigation was initiated after an interrogator stated that he knew of abuse had occurred at the Baghdad International Airport (BIAP). The interrogator said that he was reporting this conduct because he felt the actions were inhumane ...
Mar. 02, 2005
Investigative File (CID)
Physical assault, Stress positions, Other Humiliation
May 10, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 660
This document is the condensed notes of an interview of at Screener in Abu Ghraib Prison from Mid-December 2003 through January 2004. The interview is a verbatim rendition of the Screener’s statement and it is noted that the statement is to be ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Interview (Statement, Summaries/Notes)
George R. Fay
Use of water, Other, Physical assault, Walling, Sexual, General, Use of electricity, Stress positions, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual, Religious, Other
June 04, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 694
Contract interrogator from CACI assigned to Abu Ghraib from November 23, 2003 to the end of January 2004. The Interrogator stated "I never personally used or saw dogs being used in interrogations. My impression was that the dogs were used as an ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Interview (Statement)
Physical assault, Walling, General, Threat, Family/others, Stress positions, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Nudity, Other
May 03, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 714
This is a sworn statement from a CACI civilian contractor assigned to Abu Ghraib prison in early October 2003 as an “on-site manager” of CACI employees, and as an interrogator himself. He described his understanding on how to treat detainees and ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Interview (Statement)
Thomas Pappas
Physical assault, Stress positions, Use of phobias, Nudity
Jan. 21, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 717
Unknown interviewee provided a sworn statement in which he/she recalled incidents that took place at AG. The interviewee reported only overhearing things, not actually observing anything. Recalled a woman, a National Guard who recounted numerous ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Interview (Statement)
Physical assault, General, Stress positions, Use of phobias, Isolation, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual, Forced physical training, Other
Jan. 31, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 721
This sworn statement by a Corporal, interrogator assigned to the 325th Military Intelligence Battalion and the 205th Military Intelligence Battalion. Explained that detainees would be brought to him either in handcuffs or not, would request that ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Interview (Statement)
Use of water, Other, Stress positions, Isolation, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual, Forced physical training, Other
June 06, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 727
This Sergeant was assigned to Abu Ghraib prison from May 22, 2003 to November 4, 2003. The Sergeant stated "MPs never used physical force, withheld food, humiliated or otherwise abused detainees as a control measure. Military Police (MP) were ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Interview (Statement)
Stress positions, Sleep deprivation, Dietary manipulation, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling, Nudity