Redacted CIA Documents Of The Day: Interrogation Transcripts

By Marc Ambinder

Thanks to the ACLU, the CIA today released heavily redacted memorandums describing parts of the actual interrogations of Abu Zubaydah, KSM. Majid Khan, and Al-Nashiri. In the CIA's parlance, they are the verbatim transcripts of the combat status review tribunals (CSRTs) for these prisoners. The documents have been released before, but there are a few de-redacted paragraphs that deal with allegations of torture:

Certain fragments, like this one, from Abu Zubaydah: "They say "this in your diary," They say "see you want to make operation against America." I say no, the idea is different. They say no, torturing, torturing, I say, "okay, I do, I was decide to make operation."

KSM: "l just make up stories, just location VBL. Where is he? I don't know. Then he torture me. Then I said yes, he is in this area or this is al Qaida which I don't him. I said no, they torture me.

Does he know you? I say don't him but how come he know you. I told him I'm..."

The prisoners' description of their interrogations are entirely blacked out.

This article available online at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/06/redacted-cia-documents-of-the-day-interrogation-transcripts/19436/