Testimony of Standard Operating Procedures, 2004

Camp Delta Standard Operation Procedures - 1 March 2004 (henceforth CDSOP/04) is a 237-page document issued at Headquarters, Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO), Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by Major General Geoffrey Miller, Commander, JTF-GTMO. CDSOP/04 describes itself as "a revised update to Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO) standard operating procedures (SOP) for Camp Delta […] and establishes policies and procedures for the security, treatment, care, and accountability for detainees […] at JTF-GTMO in general and Camp Delta in particular" (p. iii). CDSOP/04 is marked UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY on every page, and is "limited to those requiring operational and procedural knowledge in the direct performance of their duties as well as those directly associated with JTF-GTMO" (p. iii). CDSOP/04 was submitted to Wikileaks, which released it on December 3, 2007. In a December 5, 2007 email to Wikinews, Commander Rick Haupt, Director of Public Affairs JTF-GTMO, indicated that "the document appears to be a valid 2004 Camp Delta SOP".

CSHRA has extracted the testimony of prisoner abuse found in this document and posted it below. These extracts are followed by a comparison between CDSOP/04 and its predecessor, CDSOP/03. The CSHRA analysis of the latter is posted here.

(CD0401) Blocks are categorized as maximum security (individual cells) or medium security (twelve person rooms). Maximum-security blocks are designated as Segregation, designed specifically for segregation and isolation of detainees for disciplinary or intelligence gathering purposes (CDSOP/04, section 2-2c).

(CD0402) [Upon arrival at Guantanamo] [e]scorts remove earmuffs and black boxes from the detainees. Black boxes are staged outside of holding area pending return to Air Force (CDSOP/04 3-5.h) […] Escorts remove uniform off of detainee […] Goggles will be lowered and placed around the detainee's neck. [Surgical] [m]ask remains on (CDSOP/04 3-5.i.1) […] Once all processing is complete, guards will insure that all handcuffs, goggles, earmuffs, leg irons, black boxes, and belly chains are accounted for and assembled for return to the Air Force (CDSOP/04 3-5.m) […] Once in the holding area, seat the detainees; legs folded and head down with their backs to the processing trailer door. Remove the earmuffs and leather mitts and put surgical masks in place after seating and securing all detainees (CDSOP/04 4-6.d) […] Detainee remains shackled while clothing is cut off and disposed of (CDSOP/04, section 4-8).

(CD0403) Instruct the detainee that if he removes the ID bracelet, he will not be fed until another is made for him (CDSOP/04, section 4-15.e).

(CD0404) Behavior Management Plan a. Phase One Behavior Management Plan (First thirty days or as directed by JIG [or Joint Interrogation Group]). The purpose of the Behavior Management Plan is to enhance and exploit the disorientation and disorganization felt by a newly arrived detainee in the interrogation process. It concentrates on isolating the detainee and fostering dependence of the detainee on his interrogator. During the first two weeks at Camp Delta, classify the detainees as Level 5 and house in a Special Housing Unit (SHU) Block. During this time, the following conditions will apply:

        (1) Restricted contact: No ICRC [or International Committee of the Red Cross] or Chaplain contact.
        (2) No books or mail privileges.
        (3) MREs [or Meals Ready to Eat] for all meals.
        (4) Basic comfort items only: (a) ISO Mat (b) One blanket (c) One towel (d) Toothpaste/finger toothbrush (e) One
             Styrofoam cup (f) Bar of soap (g) Camp Rules (h) Koran (i) No prayer beads or prayer cap.
        (5) Mail writing and delivery will be at the direction of the J-2.

b. Phase Two Behavior Management Plan. The two-week period following Phase 1 will continue the process of isolating the detainee and fostering dependence on the interrogator. Until the JIG Commander changes his classification, the detainee will remain a Level 5 with the following:

(CD0422) Detainees are not authorized to receive anything other than flat letters weighing less than one ounce. All postal units have been told any other items will be immediately returned to the sender (CDSOP/04, section 13-2.b).

(CD0423) Interrogators will conduct mail collection and distribution for detainees on any level 5 blocks for all mail except ICRC mail (CDSOP/04, section 13-4.h).

(CD0424) Detainees will be secured to the eyebolt in the floor of the interrogation room. Detainees may be unshackled at the request of the Interrogators (CDSOP/04, section 14-12.d).

(CD0425) Religious items will [be] distributed in accordance with the detainee current reward level (CDSOP/04, section 16-13.b).

(CD0426) There will be four ICRC [or International Committee of the Red Cross] teams consisting of two guards […] There will be one ICRC monitor located in Juliet Block […] ICRC escort teams or the ICRC monitor will escort all ICRC personnel at all times while in Camp Delta […] The physical security of U.S. Forces and detainees in U.S. is paramount. Safety and security of U.S. Forces and detainees will not be compromised in an effort to conform to the wishes and requests of the ICRC that are not covered in this SOP […] All ICRC personnel and detainees will be escorted by guards and detainees will be in three-piece suites [sic] while they are out of their cell. At no time will the detainee be unaccompanied by guards […] While in the interview block, only one hand may be unshackled to allow the detainee to write (CDSOP/04, sections 17-1 and 17-2).

(CD0427) Levels of Visitation. All detainees will have a level of ICRC [or International Committee of the Red Cross] contact designated for them. These different levels are as follows:

        a. No Access: No contact of any kind with the ICRC. This includes the delivery of ICRC mail.
        b. Restricted: ICRC is allowed to ask the detainee about health and welfare only. No prolonged questions.
        c. Unrestricted: ICRC is allowed full access to talk to the detainee.
        d. Visual: Access is restricted to visual inspection of the detainee's physical condition. No form of communication is
            permitted. No delivery of ICRC mail.

        (CDSOP/04, section 17-4).

(CD0428) Restraint types:

        (1) Three-piece Suit: Hand-irons, Leg-irons, connecting chain, and belly chains.
        (2) Four/Five Point Position: Arms, head, and legs are secured.

        (CDSOP/04, section 19-1.c).

(CD0429) Detainees may not refuse to take their daily TB medications, if being treated for active TB (CDSOP/04, section 19-2.g).

(CD0430) Voluntary Total Fasting and Refeeding. A detainee is considered to be on a Voluntary Total Fast, (VTF), when he refuses to eat nine consecutive meals as a form of protest or refuses fluids for 48 hours. The protest may or may not be verbalized. Detainee’s who eat portions of the meals are not normally considered to be on a VTF […] After a detainee has refused to consume nine consecutive meals, ensure the Delta Clinic begins the VTF Protocol […] Consider supplemental feeding when the detainee’s body mass index is below 16, when incapacitated, or ordered by a Medical Officer. The detainee will be admitted to the Detention Hospital if supplemental feeding is necessary. The JTF Commander is the only person who can authorize forced feeding […] Consult with the Command Judge Advocate before force treatment is initiated. The legal opinion should be noted in the detainee’s medical chart (CDSOP/04, section 19-8).

(CD0431) IRF [or Immediate Reaction Force] teams consist of five guards […] The Number One Man is also the shield man […] Upon entry [into a detainee's cell], the number one man is responsible to pin the detainee with the shield with the minimum amount of force necessary. The number one man is also responsible for securing the head […] The Number Two Man is responsible for securing the detainee's right arm with the minimal amount of force necessary. He will also have the handcuffs and keys for the cuffs. He is responsible for proper shackling of the detainee's wrist […] The Number Three Man is responsible for securing the detainee's left arm with the minimal amount of force necessary. He will assist the Number Two man in shackling of the detainee's wrist […] The Number Four Man is responsible for securing the detainee's right leg. He is responsible for proper shackling of the detainee's ankles […] The Number Five Man […] is responsible for securing the detainee's left leg. He will assist the Number Four Man in shackling the detainee's ankles. He is responsible for ensuring all shackles are double locked and that medical personnel checks the detainee (CDSOP/04, section 24-1).

(CD0432) The five-man IRF [or Immediate Reaction Force] team will use the following equipment: (1) Riot Helmet or Kevlar Helmet with ballistic visor (2) Shin protectors (3) Ballistic vest or Flak Vest (4) Latex or similar gloves; (5) Additional leather gloves are optional (6) Lexan shield (7) Handcuffs (8) Leg Irons (CDSOP/04, section 24-2).

(CD0433) Training for the IRF [or Immediate Reaction Force] Team members should occur during every shift and in each camp […] During the IRF team brief, the team will be told that it is a drill […] A brevity code word will be used to stop the drill in the event of a safety concern or accidental injury […] At no time will the soldier portraying a detainee be in any uniform other than BDUs [or Battle Dress Uniform; but see Testimony of a Military Policeman] (CDSOP/04, section 24-4).

(CD0434) The IRF [or Immediate Reaction Force] Team is intended to be used primarily as a forced cell extraction team, specializing in the extraction of a detainee who is combative, resistive, or if the possibility of a weapon is in the cell at the time of the extraction […] use of the IRF Team and levels of force are not to be used as a method of punishment⁵ […] Prior to the use of the IRF Team, an interpreter will be used to tell the detainee of the discipline measures to be taken against him and ask whether he intends to resist […] If the detainee does not compy, the PL or SOG will tell the detainee to face the back of the cell, get on his knees and place his hands on top of his head. The PL or SOG will restate their orders […] show the detainee his can of OC [= Oleoresin Capsicum or Pepper Spray], as a show of force and restate his orders and tell the detainee that if he does not comply he will be strayed and removed from the cell by the IRF Team […] The PL or SOG will administer a one to three second burst of OC into the face of the detainee if the detainee still fails to comply […] If he fails to compy, the PL or SOG may administer another burst of OC into the face of the detainee […] If he fails to comply, the Block NCO will open the cell door to allow the IRF Team entry into the cell (CDSOP/04, sections 24-6 and 24-7).

(CD0435) The [MWD or Military Working Dog] teams […] will be employed as follows […] Psychological deterrence. MWD will walk “Main Street” in Camp Delta during shift to demonstrate physical presence to detainees […] MWD will not walk through blocks unless directed by the JDOG [or Joint Detention Operations Group] (CDSOP/04, section 26-2.a.1).

(CD0436) Detainees who are on self-harm precautions [i.e. those at high risk for suicide or other self-injury] that are scheduled for interrogation will have their clinical status and risk assessment verified by the licensed Behavioral Health staff prior to leaving the block. Detainees on self-harm precautions are generally not clinically stable enough to leave the block (CDSOP/04, section 30-6.d).

(CD0437) Delta Behavioral Health Block is constructed in two sections. The front Non-Acute section has 22 cells that have been modified with additional safety considerations to house detainees on Behavioral Healthcare Service that are clinically stable but because of their mental illness and/or limited coping skills, are at increased risk of self-harm and are more difficult to manage in the general population. The rear section, Delta Acute, houses detainees who are at imminent risk of serious self-harm, suicide or require seclusion or restraint to regain internal control, under medical supervision. The section has nine acute cells, four restraint cells, and two seclusion cells (CDSOP/04, section 30-1).

Get original here.

CSHRA Notes

[1] Like its predecessor, this manual makes violations of the Geneva Conventions (and of worldwide medical declarations) a matter of standard operating procedure:

• According to the Geneva Conventions, confinement for thirty days is a maximum disciplinary punishment, not a  preliminary to interrogation to be applied to every prisoner of war or internee upon arrival (see Articles 89 and 90 of the Third Geneva Convention and Article 119 of the Fourth Geneva Convention). There is testimony from a CIA asset that thirty-day solitary confinement under abusive conditions was standard practice at the time CDSOP was issued:

• According to the Geneva Conventions, the ICRC shall be able to go to all places where prisoners of war or other protected persons may be detained and interview them without witnesses (see Article 126 of the Third Geneva Convention and Article 143 of the Fourth Geneva Convention).

• According to the Geneva Conventions, prisoners of war and internees awarded disciplinary punishment shall be allowed to exercise and to stay in the open air at least two hours daily (see Article 98 of the Third Geneva Convention and Article 125 of the Fourth Geneva Convention).

•  According to the Geneva Conventions, prisoners of war and other internees shall be allowed to receive by post or by any other means individual parcels or collective shipments containing, in particular, foodstuffs, clothing, medical supplies and articles of a religious, educational or recreational character which may meet their needs, including books, devotional articles, scientific equipment, examination papers, musical instruments, sports outfits and materials allowing prisoners of war to pursue their studies or their cultural activities (see Article 72 of the Third Geneva Convention and Article 108 of the Fourth Geneva Convention).

• Worldwide medical consensus  forbids force-feeding prisoners unequivocally (see Article 6 of the 1975 Tokyo Declaration of the World Medical Association or Article 21 of the 1991 Malta Declaration of the World Medical Association. For more on the force-feeding of Guantanamo prisoners, see Testimony of Military Physicians).

[2] In fact, as far as prisoner abuse is concerned, the differences between this document and its predecessor (see bullets below) point, for the most part, to a worsening situation.

• The Koran is now allowed during the initial period of solitary confinement (but not prayer beads or cap).

• Guards are to ensure that prisoners do not get more toilet paper than the amount set per shift.

• Use of pepper spray on prisoners that throw water at guards is now explicitly forbidden. For testimony from a military translator that IRFs (and hence pepper spray) were used on such prisoners, see below.

 • Repeated applications of pepper spray on non-compliant prisoners is now authorized.

 • Guards are now explicitly forbidden to eat any portion of a prisoner's meal.

 • 'Suicide' need not be replaced by 'self-harm' anymore (but hunger strikes are deemed voluntary total fasts).

 • Punitive haircuts are now explicitly forbidden (for testimony of such haircuts, see the following or click here).

Pagnotti also helped improvise a new finale for IRFs […] to shave the heads of IRFed captives. We began to notice that the detainee in question was a special favorite, the razor might “slip” and eliminate his eyebrows as well. The missing eyebrow trick made some camp officials nervous because of the potential for the Red Cross to take note, so on occasion these detainees were slapped in a special isolation cell, hidden away from Red Cross scrutiny (see Testimony of a Translator, ES22).

 

 • Procedures are now formalized for holding prisoners in solitary confinement for more than 30 days.

 • Interrogators are now to collect and distribute mail for prisoners isolated for intelligence gathering purposes.

 • No specifics are now given for when mail can be redacted (cf. CDSOP/03, section 13-8).

 • Detainees treated for tuberculosis are now obliged to take their medication.

 • Force-feeding must commence when body mass index is below 16.

 • A long, detailed chapter is now devoted to the operation of mentally ill or suicidal prisoners.

 • Interrogation needs may trump the reasons for placing a detainee in a health care block, as detainees at high risk for suicide, and who might not be clinically stable to leave the health care block, may still be taken out of the block and into interrogation.

• The assessment of the risk involved in this thoroughly non-therapeutic decision falls on licensed behavioral health staff.