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
July 15, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 1119
The purpose of the memo was to provide information regarding alleged detainee abuse by Soldiers at the Samarra Bridge in Iraq on January 3, 2004, in which two Iraqis were stopped near a checkpoint in Samarra. After being taken into custody they ...
May 16, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Raymond T. Odierno, Michael J. Marchand
July 15, 2004 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 2676
Email. Contents redacted.
July 15, 2004 | FBI | ACLU-RDI 3081
Email details FBI investigation of mistreatment, abuse or "highly aggressive" treatment of detainees in Iraq that are known or observed by FBI agents who have cycled through Guantanamo. The email states that fourteen (14) agents have witnessed ...
Dec. 15, 2004
Email
Marion E. Bowman
Valerie E. Caproni
Marion E. Bowman, Valerie E. Caproni, Thomas J. Harrington, Steven C. McCraw, J. Stephen Tidwell, Janice K. Fedarcyk, Patrick W. Kelley, Frankie Battle, M. Chris Briese, Patrick Leahy, Gary M. Bald, Arthur M. Cummings, II, Eleni P. Kalisch, Kenneth L. Wainstein, Cassandra M. Chandler, John S. Pistole, Hector M. Pesquera
Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Temperature, Other
July 15, 2004 | FBI | ACLU-RDI 3091

Emails concerning internal DOD news with this initial comment from Marion "Spike" Bowman: "I understand that there is/was to be a strategy session with FBI in about 10 days. I presume those in the FBI involved with this ...

Dec. 15, 2004
Email
Marion E. Bowman
Gary M. Bald | Arthur M. Cummings, II | Valerie E. Caproni | John F. Curran
Gary M. Bald, Arthur M. Cummings, II, Marion E. Bowman, John F. Curran
July 15, 2004 | FBI | ACLU-RDI 3149
Responding to email concerning detainees. The memo author states they did not witness or participate in aggressive treatment, interrogations or interviews of military detainees at Guantanamo that was not consistent with FBI policy.
July 15, 2004 | FBI | ACLU-RDI 3376
In response to the canvass of FBI agents who toured through Guantanamo Bay an inquiry regarding the treatment of military detainees treatment was instigated. A Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) reports that during his/her assignment in Guantanamo, ...
May 18, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Monte C. Strait
July 15, 2004 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 3600
DOS Cable discusses the transfer for release of detainees at Guantanamo Bay (GTMO). It states that the detainee's host governments are willing to accept the nationals. The names and countries of the detainees are listed, but redacted.
Nov. 23, 2004
Cable
Stephanie T. Williams, James A. McAtamney, Elizabeth H. Richard, Ronald W. Miller, Frank E. Schmelzer , Karen L. Hecker, Carol T. Santos, JoAnn J. Dolan
July 15, 2004 | FBI | ACLU-RDI 4896
This email is a response to a Bureau wide memo sent by Steve McCraw to illicit information from FBI agents who toured through Guantanamo Bay to report any suspected or witnessed abuse of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. This FBI agent states "In late ...
Jan. 02, 2007
Non-legal Memo, Email
Steven C. McCraw
Steven C. McCraw
Physical assault, Use of phobias, Isolation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Other Humiliation, Religious
July 15, 2004 | FBI | ACLU-RDI 4982
This email is a response to a Bureau wide memo sent by Steve McCraw to illicit information from FBI agents who toured through Guantanamo Bay to report any suspected or witnessed abuse of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. This FBI agent touring through ...
Jan. 02, 2007
Non-legal Memo, Email
Steven C. McCraw
Sleep deprivation
July 15, 2004 | ACLU-RDI 5069
This article criticizes the CIA's use of secret detention facilities and its interrogation methods. It states, "several of the CIA's detainees probably have been tortured and "a controversial Justice Department opinion defending such abuse was ...
Mar. 15, 2013
Other
George J. Tenet
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Abu Zubaydah
Use of water, Waterboarding