Letter from Thomas J. Harrington to Major General Donald J. Ryder re: Suspected Mistreatment of Detainees at Guantanamo Bay

rf) 35.-4 P 2 OCT 27 2004 9 24P41 ,E RET U S Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Invesaption weslungtoaD C 20535-0001 July 14, 2004 Major General Donald J. Ryder Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Command 6010 6th Street Fort Belvoir, Virginia 22060-5506 Re. Suspected Mistreatment of Detainees Dear General Ryder I appreciate the opportunity I had to meet with you last week. As part of a follow up on our discussion on detainee treatment, 1 would like to alert you to three situations observed by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of highly aggressive interrogation techniques being used against detainees in Guantanamo (GTMO). I refer them to you for appropriate action 1 During late 2002, FBI Special Ag as present in an on room at GTMO and observed ( namerown) , rallSiMitinducting an interrogation of an unknown etamee. (S I was pr e the interrogation occurring in a different interrogation room ) tered the observation room and complained that curtain movement at he o • servation window was distracting the detainee, although no movement of the curtain had occurred. She directed a marine to duct tape a curtain over the two-way mirror between the interrogation room and the observation room SAI icharactenzed this action as an attempt to b6 -1,2 prohibit those in the observation room from witnessing het inters pon with the b7C -1,2 detainee surveillance camera monitor, SAethen sition herself between the detainee and the surveillance observed camera The ee was shackled and his hands were cuffed to his waist. SAI observed) lapparently whispering in the detainee's ear, and caressing and applying lotion to his arms (this was during Ramadan when physical contact with a woman would have been particularly offensive to a Moslem male). On in occasion the detainee appeared to be grimacing in pain, and s hands eared to be malang some contact could not see her hands at all tunes, with the detainee. Al u he saw them moving towards the • etainee s lap He also observed the detainee pulling away and against the restraints Subsequently, the marine who had previously taped the curtain and had been in the interrogation room with 'during the interrogation re-entered the observation room - 66F-HQ-Al234210 DETAINEES3823 HF.F.En tr;CLAse - rau s-RE ' 31/911". vrtu.RIII'411 Taf.tjh (2) CATS.•‘ r:LAEISIPIErt, 3Y:ai57sinNE/3CEI 4 -CV-41S1 SECRET REASC.14:":' 1: 4 ..(C); L-XCLAkii*ry gz;: 11-17-2029. DOJFBI-001914 r I, 05-.eF 3 e •..31.:T 2' 2024 S 24A'le k ;ECRU— General Donald J. Ryder b6 -1,2 SAP 'asked what had h erred to cause the detainee to grimace in b7C -1,2 pain. The marine said d grabbed the detainee's thumbs and bent them backwards and in eat she also grabbed his genitals The marine also implied that her treatment of that detainee was less harsh than her treatment of others by indicating that he had seen her treatment of other detainees result in detainees curling into a fetal position on the floor and crying m pain. 2. Also in October 2002, FBI Special Apend eIwas observing the1 interrogation of a detainee when/ ela civilian contractor, came into tb on room and asked SASeIto come see somethingbl SiI hen sa an nnirnnarn iNaarrleri Inna-llairari riatalne.e. In anntl-Pr b6 -1,2,5 interrogation roogi e I. b7C -1,2,5 Nether the detainee had spit a at the interrogators Mr elaughed and stated that the detainee had been CeKnt arid wnn not qtnn 7liftrlrhri not air eWer when i Sh riked 1 1e3 In September or October of 2002 FBI agents oeed that a canine was used b6 -4 in an aggressive mariner to nr detaineeeand, in November 2002, FBI agents observed Detainee after he had een sub' cte to intense b7C -4e isolation for over three months. During that time periodewas totally isolated (with the exception of occasional interrogations) in a cell that was always flooded with light By late November, the detainee was evidencing behavior consistent with extreme psychological trauma (talking to non-existent people, reporting hearing voices, crouching in a cornea -of the cell covered with a sheet for hours on end) It is unknown to the FBI whether such extended isolation was approved by appropriate DoD authorities These situations were referenced in a 1.1Ay 30, 2003 electronic communication (EC) from the Behavioral Anal s U r. • ..e1 to FBI HiTi• . uarters. That EC attached, amoiiiiith-Fr documents, a draft emorandum for the Record .. -. 15 January 2003 from b6 -2e CaptieI(USAFR), that refers to the first two events among others in a tme line b7C -2e of events related to discussions concerning the use of aggressive interrogation techniques MarionBowman of the FBr's Office of General Counsel discussed the contents of those conumuucations with Mr Dietz, Deputy General Counsel (Intelligence) and Mr. Del'Orto, Deputy General Counsel of DoD, around the time the EC was received Although he was assured that the general concerns expressed, and the debate between the FBI and DoD regarding the treatment of detainees was known to officials in the Pentagon, I have no record that our specific concerns regarding these three situanons were communicated to DoD for appropriate action 2 DETAINEES-3824 SECRET,e DOJFBI-001915 9 251:1 1 •if; 054.P 4 OC.1 V 2004. JECRET General Donald J. Ryder If I can provide any further mformaton to you please do not hesitate to call. Sincerely yours, T I. Hamngton Deputy Assistant Director Counterterrorism Division DETAINEES-3825 3 ...SECRETe DOJFBI-001916