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 (4791)

RelevanceDateRelease Date
July 27, 2005 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 6814
This memo from Donald Rumsfeld to Stephen Hadley, Cheney, Gonzales, Rice, and Dan Bartlett provides a set of metrics for detention operations through July 20, 2005.
Dec. 15, 2009
Non-legal Memo
Donald H. Rumsfeld
Stephen Hadley
Richard B. Cheney, Alberto R. Gonzales, Condoleeza Rice, Daniel Bartlett
Feb. 18, 2004 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 6816
This memo from Paul Wolfowitz, US Deputy Secretary of Defense, to the Attorney General and the directors of the CIA and FBI provides notes and talking points on the most dangerous enemy combatants detained at Guantanamo to provide to the press in ...
Dec. 15, 2009
Non-legal Memo
Paul Wolfowitz
Alberto R. Gonzales | John McLaughlin | James B. Comey
Geoffrey D. Miller, Paul W. Butler
Abu Zubaydah
Sept. 04, 2008 | WH | DOD | ACLU-RDI 6819
This is a memo from the Chief of the White House Liaison Section, Executive Services Division, Washington Headquarters Services, DOD to the National Security Council Records Management Office reporting that the "Under Secretary of Defense for ...
Nov. 30, 2001 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 6827
November 2001 memo from Yoo and Delahunty to Gonzales summarizing treaties and laws applicable to the conflict in Afghanistan and to the treatment of persons captured by U.S. Armed Forces.
Dec. 15, 2009
Legal Memo
John C. Yoo
Alberto R. Gonzales
Alberto R. Gonzales, John Yoo, Robert J. Delahunty, George W. Bush
Aug. 09, 2004 | FBI | ACLU-RDI 6183
An email by FBI Agent containing a positive response to observing aggressive treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The email notes that the agent saw, "at least two individuals dressed in BDU's standing and an inmate kneeling on the floor ...
Oct. 30, 2009
Email
Physical assault, Other Humiliation, Sexual
Jan. 10, 2005 | FBI | ACLU-RDI 6194
A chain of six emails regarding a military defense investigator's request to the FBI's Counterterrorism Division for FBI emails about detainee abuse. The investigator had been appointed to work on the defense team for one of the Abu Gharib prison ...
Oct. 30, 2009
Email
Julie F. Thomas
June 01, 2004 | FBI | ACLU-RDI 6196
A series of forwarded emails between FBI officials regarding the status of statements for a hearing. One email notes, "We do NOT do Miranda overseas generally--this is contrary to our policy right?"
Oct. 30, 2009
Email
Valerie E. Caproni, Gary M. Bald
July 07, 2004 | FBI | ACLU-RDI 6202
A series of emails regarding whether hard copies of the FBI Legal Handbook have been issued to agents in the past years, or whether only digital issues have been issued. The emails also note that testimony before Congress should stress that ...
Oct. 30, 2009
Email
Valerie E. Caproni, Patrick W. Kelley, Maureen Baginski
Jan. 26, 2005 | FBI | ACLU-RDI 6205
An email that provides guidance on forwarding requests for interviews of FBI Special Agents regarding allegations of detainee abuse or deaths.
Oct. 30, 2009
Email
Patrick W. Kelley, Toni M. Fogle, Thomas J. Harrington, Frankie Battle
June 03, 2004 | Legislative | ACLU-RDI 6210
A letter from the House of Representatives to President George W. Bush informing him of their determination to investigate the prison abuses at Abu Gharib and elsewhere and to request his assistance in obtaining key documents. The letter includes ...
Oct. 30, 2009
Letter
Henry A. Waxman
George W. Bush
Henry A. Waxman, John Conyers, Jr.