Spot Report: Abu Zubaydah Interrogation Team (April 19, 2002)

Date: 19 April 2002

SUBJECT: [REDACTED]BASE: Abu Zubaydah Interrogation Team

1. (EYES ONLY) With the recent capture of high-ranking Al Qa'ida operative Abu Zubaydah, OTS was asked to provide expert interrogation assistance. One officer, [REDACTED] who is presently assigned full-time to CTC, is leading the psychological team assigned to the interrogation. [REDACTED] Another psychologist, Dr. James Mitchell, a contractor with extensive experience in interrogation techniques and resistance to these techniques was also included on that team. This team is on the ground [REDACTED] and now that Zubaydah has recovered from his wounds sufficiently to be moved to the interrogation center, his interrogation is underway in earnest. Of highlight, as expected, Zubaydah is using counter-interrogation techniques outlined in the Al Qa'ida training manual. The interrogation technique developed by Dr. Mitchell under contract with OTS [REDACTED] is outllned in a paper titled "COUNTERMEASURES TO AL-QA'IDA RESISTANCE TO INTERRROGATION TECHNIQUES".

2. One area we needed clarified was a legal reading on our interrogation process. CTC/Legal obtained a favorable reading from the Department of Justice that STATES our interrogation process is well within the bounds of the Federal and International Torture conventions.

3. (EYES ONLY) Following is an April 19th update from [REDACTED] 10071:

"AFTER 76 PLUS HOURS WITH NO SLEEP, SUBJECT'S ABILITY TO FOCUS ON QUESTIONS AND PROVIDE COHERENT ANSWERS APPEARED COMPROMISED TO THE POINT THAT SLEEP WOULD BE REQUIRED. AS SUCH, TEAM DECIDED TO ALLOW SUBJECT 3 HOURS OF SLEEP. WHEN HE AWOKE EARLY MORNING OF 19 APRIL AT 0600 HOURS, SUBJECT APPEARED SIGNIFICANTLY LESS FATIGUED AND WAS ABLE TO SIT UP WlTHOUT NODDING OFF INTO SLEEP. THE STRATEGIC INTERROGATION PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN EMPLOYED SINCE ARRIVAL AT THE SlTE HAS YIELDED SIGNIFICANT RESULTS IN THAT SUBJECT UPON AWAKENING TURNED THE INITIAL CORNER TOWARDS COOPERATION. THE SUBJECT HAS BECOME TALKATIVE, ANSWERS QUESTIONS lN A MOSTLY DIRECT FASHION, AD LIBS WHEN CLARIFICATION IS NECESSARY AND IS DISCUSSING SOME SPECIFICS ABOUT INDIVIDUALS AND EVENTS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT ALTHOUGH  WE HAVE MADE A MAJOR BREAK THROUGH  [SIC] THE TEAM ANTICIPATES THAT THE SUBJECT WILL LIKELY BEOME RESISTIVE IN THE NEAR TERM AND WE ARE FULLY ON TRACK TO DEAL WITH THE RESISTANCE WHEN WE ENCOUNTER IT.  WE WILL CERTAINLY STAY FOCUSED ON THE MOST IMMEDIATE THREAT-RELATED INFO AS DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY. WE PLAN TO NOW RUN 12 HOUR INTERROGATION SHIFTS OF TWO MEMBER TEAMS TO MAXIMIZE TIME ON TARGET, MAKE THE SESSIONS ARE [SIC] MORE PRODUCTIVE AND START TO FLUSH OUT THE THREAT INFO WHILE WEAVING IN OTHER TOPICS TO KEEP SUBJECT TALKING. AS PART OF THIS PLAN, WE WILL ALLOW SUBJECT TO GET 2-3 HOURS OF SLEEP PER 24 HOUR PERIOD DISTRIBUTED TO ACCOMODATE INTERROGATION SESSIONS…"

4. This is the first of what we expect to be requirements for the interrogation team. [REDACTED]