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 (5977)

RelevanceDateRelease Date
May 10, 2005 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 6582
An OLC memo from Bradbury to Rizzo addressing whether the combined use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" (including waterboarding) violates the prohibition on torture. The memo concludes that it would not violate the torture statute if used ...
Aug. 31, 2016
Legal Memo
Steve Bradbury
John A. Rizzo
John A. Rizzo, Steven G. Bradbury, James B. Comey, Jay Bybee, Daniel B. Levin
EIT, SERE, Use of water, Waterboarding, Water dousing, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, Attention grasp, Facial hold, Walling, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Sleep deprivation, Dietary manipulation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Hooding/Goggling, Nudity, Other
Jan. 15, 2009 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 6583
This January 15, 2009 OLC memo from Steven Bradbury discusses the reasons for the withdrawal of nine OLC memos that were issued in the aftermath of 9/11, specifically why the propositions in these memos are not consistent with the current views ...
Aug. 31, 2016
Legal Memo
Steven G. Bradbury
June 10, 2004 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 6588
This June 10, 2004 letter from Jack Goldsmith to Scott Muller is a response to Muller's March 2, 2004 letter asking Goldsmith to "reaffirm" bullet points entitled "Legal Principles Applicable to CIA Detention and Interrogation of Captured ...
Aug. 31, 2016
Letter
Jack L. Goldsmith
Scott W. Muller
Scott W. Muller, Jack L. Goldsmith
June 18, 2004 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 6589
This June 18, 2004 letter from Jack Goldsmith to George Tenet provides feedback on the Inspector General's report.
Aug. 31, 2016
Letter
Jack L. Goldsmith
George Tenet
Jack L. Goldsmith, George J. Tenet
July 22, 2004 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 6592
This July 22, 2004 letter from Daniel Levin to Scott Muller asks Muller to provide a "precise description" of the waterboard interrogation technique, so that the OLC can determine if it is consistent with 18 USC §§ 2340 and 2340A.
Aug. 31, 2016
Letter
Daniel B. Levin
Scott W. Muller
Scott W. Muller, Daniel B. Levin
SERE, Use of water, Waterboarding
Sept. 01, 2004 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 6595
The September 2004 memorandum from Daniel Levin to the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General provides an update on the status of interrogation advice. The memo includes previously given and current/pending advice for the CIA and DOD.
Aug. 31, 2016
Legal Memo
Daniel B. Levin
Attorney General
Jay S. Bybee, John A. Rizzo, John McLaughlin, William "Jim" Haynes, Scott W. Muller, Jack L. Goldsmith
Use of water, Waterboarding, Face slap or insult slap, Attention grasp, Facial hold, Walling, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Physical assault
June 16, 2003 | CIA | ACLU-RDI 6607
A list of bullet points discussing legal principles applicable to the CIA's detention and interrogation of detainees, including the use of the "enhanced interrogation techniques." Many of the principles listed appear in the OLC's interrogation ...
Aug. 31, 2016
Legal Memo, Letter
Patrick Philbin
Patrick Philbin
EIT, Use of water, Waterboarding, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, Attention grasp, Facial hold, Walling, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Dietary manipulation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Other
Mar. 02, 2004 | CIA-OGC | ACLU-RDI 6608
A letter from the CIA to OLC requesting that the OLC reaffirm its analyses in several previously issued memos relating to interrogation. The letter states that "we rely on the applicable law and OLC guidance to assess the lawfulness of detention ...
Aug. 31, 2016
Legal Memo, Letter
Scott W. Muller
Jack L. Goldsmith
Jack L. Goldsmith, Scott W. Muller, Alberto R. Gonzales, Jay S. Bybee, John A. Rizzo
EIT, SERE, Use of water, Waterboarding, Water dousing, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, Attention grasp, Facial hold, Walling, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Dietary manipulation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Other
June 22, 2004 | CIA-OGC | ACLU-RDI 6609
This letter from Scott Muller explains that Jack Goldsmith's letter to George Tenet, Director of the CIA, was forwarded to the Inspector General and that his office would decide whether the suggested changes to the Special Review would be made. ...
Aug. 31, 2016
Letter
Scott W. Muller
Jack L. Goldsmith
Jack L. Goldsmith, Scott W. Muller, George J. Tenet, John L. Helgerson
Abu Zubaydah
EIT
July 02, 2004 | CIA-OIG | ACLU-RDI 6610
This letter from John Helgerson, Inspector General of the CIA, to Jack Goldsmith of the OLC addresses the DOJ's proposed modifications to the IG report. Helgerson writes, "we have carefully reviewed the comments of the [DOJ] regarding the Special ...
Aug. 31, 2016
Letter
John L. Helgerson
Jack L. Goldsmith
John L. Helgerson, Jack L. Goldsmith, George J. Tenet, Pat Roberts, Porter Goss, John D. Rockefeller, IV, Jane Harman