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- information when they believe they have 'reached the limit of their ability to withhold it' in the face of psychological and physical hardships.[1]
(TS// //NF) As is described in greater detail in the full Committee Study, CIA records do not support the CIA representation that Abu Zubaydah made these statements.[2] CIA records indicate that Abu Zubaydah maintained that he always intended to talk and never believed he could withhold information from interrogators.[3] In February 2003, Abu Zubaydah told a CIA psychologist that he believed prior to his capture that every captured "brother" would talk in detention and that he told individuals at a terrorist training camp that "brothers should be able to expect that the organization will make adjustments to protect people and plans when someone with knowledge is captured."[4]
- 11. The CIA Does Not Brief the Committee on the Interrogation of Abu Zubaydah
(TS// //NF) In contrast to relatively open communications that the CIA had with the Committee following the issuance of the September 17, 2001, MON, the CIA significantly limited its communications with the Committee on its detention and interrogation activities after Abu Zubaydah's capture on March 28, 2002.[5] In responses to three different sets of Committee Questions for the Record addressed to the CIA regarding the MON authorities in the spring and summer of 2002, the CIA provided no indication that the CIA had established DETENTION SITE GREEN, or was using, or considering using, coercive interrogation techniques.[6]
(TS// //NF) On September 27, 2002, CIA officials provided a briefing on Abu Zubaydah's interrogation only to Committee Chairman Bob Graham, Vice Chairman Richard Shelby, and their staff directors. After this briefing Chairman Graham made multiple and
- ↑ Memorandum for John A. Rizzo, Senior Deputy General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency, from Steven G. Bradbury, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, May 30, 2005, Re; Application of United States Obligations Under Article 16 of the Convention Against Torture to Certain Techniques that May be Used in the Interrogation of High Value Al Qaeda Detainees (DTS #2009-1810, Tab 11). This OLC memorandum cites CIA memorandum for Steve Bradbury at the Department of Justice, dated March 2, 2005, from , Legal Group, DCI Counterterrorist Center, subject "Effectiveness of the CIA Counterterrorist Interrogation Techniques."
- ↑ While there are no records of Abu Zubaydah making these statements, the deputy chief of ALEC Station, , told the Inspector General on July 17, 2003, that the "best information [the CIA] received on how to handle die [CIA] detainees came from a walk-in [a source to volunteer information to the CIA] after the arrest of Abu Zubaydah. He told us we were underestimating Al-Qa'ida. The detainees were happy to be arrested by the U.S. because they got a big show trial. When they were turned over to [foreign governments], they were treated badly so they talked. Allah apparently allows you to talk if you feel threatened. The [CIA] detainees never counted on being detained by us outside the U.S. and being subjected to methods they never dreamed of." See Memorandum for the Record; subject: Meeting with deputy chief, Counterterrorist Center ALEC Station; date: 17 July 2003.
- ↑ 10496 (1620I4Z FEB 03). For more information, see a March 7, 2005, cable describing Abu Zubaydah's explanations more fully ( 2166 (070647Z MAR 05)).
- ↑ 10496 (162014Z FEB 03) For additional details on this matter, see Volume II, specifically the section on information provided by the CIA to the Department of Justice.
- ↑ The information provided by the CIA to the Committee on the CIA's Detention and Interrogation Program is summarized later in this document, and described in greater detail in Volume II.
- ↑ See Volume II, specifically the section on CIA representations to Congress.
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