<p>A draft psychological assessment of Abu Zubaydah faxed to John Yoo from the CIA. The assessment provides background information ("for at least a decade, subject has lived and worked within an environment that has condoned, nurtured, intensified, and rewarded his radical beliefs"), and notes on his personality, "emotional/mental status/coping skills," "future worldview," motivations, primary strengths, and detention/interrogation. [OLC Vaughn Index #4]</p>
a: John Yoo Phone: Fax From: Phone; Date: 24 July 2002 Pages including this cover page: 7 Here is the paphological assessment Please feel free to call Me at work or at homey whenever, Thanks — 111111 11.4.3142. :14 P1491agigil Assessment of Zain `,.qeiakAlag!...eitli g un d azfa a Abuu&_ f The following psychological asse,urnent of Zain al-'Abed al-Abideen. iteluhainnUidf Zuhaydah) is based upon. the results of direct interviewswith and Observations of the subject, and from informatiol • • I • Babl nation. For atleast a decade, subject has Lived and workedwithin an t,avironment that has 4ondoned, nurtured, intensified, and rewarded his radiql beliefs. brie following is a partial lis( of responsibilities that the subject has held (no particular taller): Subject is at :trendy 31 years old, Abu Zubaydnh worked from very low-level mujahidin. (called courier by some) by age of 31 to third or fowl man in al-Qs:Ida. No one rises to that level in such a short pefod of rime without being dedicated, trusted, and strong. Alleged to daveAvrittenfmanual on resistance techniques and lectured on thetopic. Tryolyed in every major al.Qa'ida terrorist operafioll; sensed as the gperatioral platter for :13.emillenztlutrt plot (2000), the Paris embassy (2001) and a pia ner of the 11 September hijackings which killed and maimed thousands of Americans, Served as a mnicr Mama Bin Ladin lieutenant and played a key role in the movement andttining of operatives on behalf of al-Qa'ida. the Egyptian 'Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist elernent4 inside Pakistan and. Afghnnistan. He was a key player in the Millennium threat last year and appears to be engaged. in ongoing terrorismplowing age:1-m US. interests, Zubaydah is wanted in.Jordan for his role in the Millen/0.m plot. Dia, ed the start -up of a. Bin Ladin cell in Jordan that was disrupted in Amman. la DecOnba. 1999 for plottiug terrorist acts against US and Israeli targets during the Itifillnianiurn celebrations in Iordan. Two central figures of the plot, under west, identiflai Abu Zubaydab as bein,g the primary supporter of this cell and the tart. Managed a ret -work of training camps, safehouses, and mujandin-related offices in Peshawar and Afghanistan, assisted in other extremist networks, by moving men, money and materials in support of varlonsjihady f aroundthe Weed, DR laT P .SF,CREF i.S --Yed as Deputy Cp Commander for al-QaIda training camp in Afghanistan. Pep:onally approved entry and graduation of all t alums -- circa igg9-2000, From 1906-1999, approved goMg infout of MO:nista/I to the tralains eamps. No one came in and out of Peshawar, Pakistan withott his- knowledge and approval, Saved as al-QaIda's cooidinator of external contacts, or foreign communications. Acted as al -(2aida's 0 officer arA::,Was trusted to fbid spies in their midst. Re,IAMtEaoz: Subject mported that he persiSted fora few years in holding onto thepoOsihility that he could eventually transition from jihad life back izto college and. pus of his traditional eduestional, career, and family goals, As time passed he appeared tc find a specialniche f0 himself. He became increasingly integrated into the jihadist ideology and lifestyle. He periodically felt pangs of homeskkness, longed for the company of family, and fantasized about a future as a computer expert or engineer. Howeva, Overtime, the frequency and intensity of thesethoughts and. feelings diminished - He began to think of any activity outside:II - hadas "Silly". Eventually, he understood ;bat his naiad andheart were devoted to serving Allah and Islam through his jihad. Ho asserted that he has had "no" doubts or regrets about choosing to pursue and dinote hirrelf to jihad since the mid-1990's. er f1.,.,‘ubjeet is a highly self-directed individual who prizes his independenUe, He seeks to express Ms independence by doing things his own way and having his 4;Wri style to the extmt that he can within the socture of radical salafist ezivironments. When he makes concessions, it is Within the context of his ideological andreligious odevictions. He has narcissistic features that are evident in his attention to his appearance rmd in his obvious "efforts" to demonstrate that he is really a rather 'bumble and regtilar guy," Snbiect clearly noueues an air. ofeonfidenc self-assurance and authority, d somew corn sive IL e (Ionizes a envzoinnent an t He conceded that he gill wrest es with M111511 t • e acknowledged that hece rated thd de,struedon of the World Trade Center. He s intellectually curious, skeptical and wary of other ' intentions, possessesexcellent sett-disci s Ile and r res DRsl T TOP,SECII.ET l'i2i132 DRAFT T.O.P SECRET erstste4t przvatf y cautious regarding opening up to others), and hgbiy capable in interactions with others from a variety of backgrcrunds. Not surprisingly, he possesses the discipline, dxve, creativity and pragmatism that characterize effective leaders. - • .1 r' • S He ki • y too y puceptive and quick to recognize and assess the moods and motivations of others, He is alert and keenly observant of others' interactions. He isstrongly inclined to carefully gauge 4 situation before voicing opinions or revealing feelings. He is adept at choosing to conceal or convey a patio-al& attitude or emotion depending tai the context and. immediate utility. Subject tends to be a very private person who is ske dm! of others' intentions and alert for ulterior motives. He is markedly vigilent and tends not to Er49.tigur..f Overull, subject's background as revealed b self-report (including diaries and interview) does -not indicate that he has a history of stooddisturbance or Other psychiatric paholqgy. Indeed, his rec=d and known hist.Ory indicates that he Is remarkably resilient and confident that he can ore:come adversity. During the occasions that he experiences in fstress and/or low mood, he may become somewhat more withdrawn, melancholy, and reflective. However, this shift in mood will likely last a relatively short dme, He denies and there is no evidence in his =awl history of thought nick!. JCCT generally self-sufficient and relies on his understanding andapp *cation. of religious and psychological principles, intelligence, and discipline to avoid and overcome problems, His faith, the blessings of religious leaders, and camaraderi itita-mindev nmjanedin brothers have provided him with a reliable and durable support system .f articulz tote has been subject's ability to manage his mood and emotionsduring detention, Being circumspect, calm, count:111.A, and deliberate is likel -. AfVB • ressure rnior ca tare D R T TQP-SECIET TOP =5ECRET dd ion, h,?: showed strong sluts of sympathetic nervous system arousal (possibly fear) when be e.X_perienced the initial 'conk' ontational" dislocation of expectation during an interrogatiCn sainn. Due to bi incrvlibly Strong resolve, expailise in civilian warfare, resistance e intetrogatirm techrdquu (the latter two which he trained hundreds of others on), this exlerience was one of the few that led to him ptoviding significant actionable intelligence-: As has beem observed throughout his recent detention, be was able. toquickly bc,:txe hack from these Most disconcerting ioreents and regAin an air of calm confidence and strong resolve in not parting with other threat Infortation, Puts Worldview: According to the subject, the Iliad will ultimate' be victorious :e4el, Amaicar PlotBns. Subject's primary motivations are (in no particular order): statue/prestige, power, influence, serving the Urnmah, serving the prophet-and Allah, pursuing a 'pure jihad", contributing to the establishment-of narl'a among Muslim countries, cprOibuting to the-11614 up" of Muslims throughout the world, andcontributing to the restoration of the Palestinian homeland, 2MDar _Lairejvhs. (ir no pardoular order) Ability to focus; goal-directed ititelligence, _emotional resilience, street savvy, ability to orgatize and manage people, ebilky to delegate tasks, en observation skills, fluid adaptability (can anticipateand adapt tinder duress and with ininimal resomtes), capable of assessine and loltitta the needs of:Others ab " DR :FT TOP SECM 'TOP s1ZCRET Doerr on and InierrQcsticz, Subject recopi;_reS that his duty' a soldieriwarriorlmttjah id is to fraislnd, and lie toprotect what is most critical to the. success of ]his cause. He ass es ttiat we kande:stand this, Tit fht.: is not lik8y to 11btiraidAte* or weakened by bein..,z..! 'caught" in lies. His job is to lie. During interview he explainedfhr bed to his neighbors, to shopkeepers : to bankers, navel agents„-kcortpasonnel, and manyothers in order to protect his people- and activities. Ile said "I lie, iieY lie;flie, and eat success, e_ acquiree a i rut fa,,ons refugee identification card by to an?, t,ge sama A over a period of several weeks or months: He has _earned that the coinbization of skillful doception and lying pays off, , ieftalkedfAyfa!-'1111:l in and it is likely that Zawahlri talkedabout his e; ,:pacierice as a captive of the Egyptians and Russian;, in addition, subject familiar and. probably well versed. regarding al-Qa'irles detention and resistance traiairg rtlaterialg. Thus ; one would expect that 'subjet would draw wool till. - _loject ,:etieves in the ultimate dasdnyof Islam is to°Innatefworld. He believes that. global victory is inevitable. Thus, there is thechance that;Ire cola rationalize that ovidin information will. harm current efforts but represent tial a tern Dit.f&FT TO!' SECRET ?`REQ` 3131 3u TOP "ECM'