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 (6015)

RelevanceDateRelease Date
May 19, 2003 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 1784
Instructions for Task Force Talon Unit in detaining individuals. Deadly force is not authorized unless ammunition, weapons or explosives are being looted. Categories of detainees. Rules of Engagement. Arrest procedures.
Sept. 21, 2003 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 1785
Army memo stating that the proper safeguarding of detainees is the responsibility of capturing US forces and that US personnel are to adhear tot he Rules of Engagment.
Nov. 30, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Raymond T. Odierno
Sept. 21, 2003 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 1786
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance for the treatment of enemy prisoners of war (EPW), civilian internees (CI) and other detainees (OD) in the custody of U.S. Forces. Commanders at all levels will ensure that EPWs, civilian ...
Nov. 30, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Raymond Odierno
Raymond T. Odierno
Oct. 25, 2004 | NCIS | ACLU-RDI 569

NCIS report on the results of investigative efforts regarding allegations of abuse made by two detainees, Ali and Hassan, in Iraq. In one case, a detainee captured on February 8, 2004, alleged he was assaulted while being held at "al ...

Nov. 29, 2005
Investigative File (NCIS)
Physical assault, General, Other
Nov. 09, 2005 | EOUSA | ACLU-RDI 4871
Letter from Marie A. O'Rourke, DOJ to Megan LewisU re: ACLU's FOIA Request; Treatment of Detainees in U.S. Custody. The letter states that the document production requested is being complied with in some parts and denied or withheld in part.
Nov. 09, 2005
Letter, Judicial
Marie A. O'Rourke
Marie A. O'Rourke
May 23, 2003 | EOUSA | ACLU-RDI 4873

This memo was circulated by the government to all U.S. Attorneys around the country in response to public criticism of the Patriot Act. 

Nov. 09, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Guy A. Lewis
Guy A. Lewis, Mary Beth Buchanan, John D. Ashcroft, Patrick Leahy
Mar. 15, 2004 | Legislative | ACLU-RDI 4874

 A CRS report analyzing the law relating to the detention of two American citizens (Yaser Hamdi and Jose Padilla) as alleged "enemy combatants."

Nov. 09, 2005
Legal Memo
Jennifer K. Elsea
Jennifer K. Elsea, George W. Bush, William J. Haynes, II, Alberto R. Gonzales, Michael H. Mobbs, John D. Ashcroft
Yaser Esam Hamdi, Jose Padilla, John Walker Lindh, Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri
Mar. 24, 2004 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 1686
DoD Questionnaire: Questions for Officer concerning their observations and experience in dealing with detainees, training before deployment and Rules of Engagement. The questionnaire appears to be in response to the accusations of detainee abuse ...
Mar. 24, 2004 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 1687
This Army Questionnaire is part of a larger sensing operation to understand the training and preparation of soldiers in the field in dealing with detainees.
DOD | ACLU-RDI 1688
BATES PAGES 2993-2994 WERE REFERRED TO: Headquarters, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) & Fort Campbell, ATTN: AFZB-IT-A, Ms. Valeria M. Florez, Fort Campbell, Kentucky 42223-5000