UNCLASSIFIED
travel to the detention site to view the interrogations. A cable stated that the team believed that a "first-hand, on-the-ground look is best," but if CIA Headquarters personnel could not visit, a video teleconference would suffice.[1] DETENTION SITE GREEN personnel also informed CIA Headquarters that it was their assessment that the application of the CIA's enhanced interrogation techniques was "approach[ing] the legal limit."[2] The chief of CTC, Jose Rodriguez, responded:
- "Strongly urge that any speculative language as to the legality of given activities or, more precisely, judgment calls as to their legality vis-à-vis operational guidelines for this activity agreed upon and vetted at the most senior levels of the agency, be refrained from in written traffic (email or cable traffic). Such language is nothelpful."[3]
(TS// //NF) DETENTION SITE GREEN cables describe Abu Zubaydah as "compliant," informing CIA Headquarters that when the interrogator "raised his eyebrow, without instructions," Abu Zubaydah "slowly walked on his own to the water table and sat down."[4] When the interrogator "snapped his fingers twice," Abu Zubaydah would lie flat on the waterboard.[5] Despite the assessment of personnel at the detention site that Abu Zubaydah was compliant, CIA Headquarters stated that they continued to believe that Abu Zubaydah was withholding threat information and instructed the CIA interrogators to continue using the CIA's enhanced interrogation techniques.[6]
(TS// //NF) At times Abu Zubaydah was described as "hysterical"[7] and "distressed to the level that he was unable to effectively communicate."[8] Waterboarding sessions "resulted in immediate fluid intake and involuntary leg, chest and arm spasms" and "hysterical pleas."[9] In at least one waterboarding session, Abu Zubaydah "became completely
- ↑ 10607 (100335Z AUG 02). On August , 2002, a video-conference between DETENTION SITE GREEN and CIA Headquarters occurred, which included an interrogation video described by the interrogation team as "quite graphic" and possibly "disturbing to some viewers." After the video-conference, CIA Headquarters instructed DETENTION SITE GREEN to continue the use of the CIA's enhanced interrogation techniques against Abu Zubaydah, but agreed to send two CIA Headquarters officers to the detention site to observe the interrogations first-hand. On August , 2002, a team from CIA Headquarters, including CTC Legal and Deputy Chief of ALEC Station , visited DETENTION SITE GREEN and observed the use of the CIA's enhanced interrogation techniques, including waterboarding. The "aggressive phase of interrogation" ended days after the arrival of the officers from CIA Headquarters. See 10616 ( AUG 02); ALEC ( AUG 02); 1064 ( AUG 02); 10667 (231206Z AUG 02); and l067 (240229Z AUG 02).
- ↑ 10607 (100335Z AUG 02)
- ↑ Email from: Jose Rodriguez; to: [REDACTED]; subject: [DETENTION SITE GREEN]; date: August 12, 2002, with attachment of earlier email from: [REDACTED]; to: [REDACTED].
- ↑ 10614 (111633Z AUG 02)
- ↑ 10614 (111633Z AUG 02)
- ↑ See, for example, ALEC (101728 AUG 02); ALEC (130034Z AUG 02); ALEC AUG 02); and 10700 (280820Z AUG 02).
- ↑ 10644 (201235Z AUG 02)
- ↑ 10643 (191518Z AUG 02)
- ↑ 10643 (191518Z AUG 02)
Page 43 of 499
UNCLASSIFIED
