DOD denies expedited processing for second FOIA request

T. J. Harrington, Deputy Assistant Director Counterterrorism writes a letter to General Donald J. Ryder, DOA Criminal Investigation Command regarding the suspected mistreatment of detainees. He writes describing interrogation techniques:

[censored] asked what happened to cause the detainee to grimace in pain. The marine said [censored] had grabbed the detainees thumbs and bent the backward and indicated that 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 floor crying in pain.

He also writes about the impacts of intense light and solitary confinement on a detainee:

FBI agents observed Detainee [censored] after he had been subjected to intense isolation for over three months. During that time period [censored] was totally isolated (with the exception of occasional interrogations) in a cell that was always flooded with light. By late November, the detainee was evidencing behaviour consistent with extreme psychological trauma (talking to non-existent people, hearing voices, crouching in the corner of the cell covered with a sheet for hours on end).

The letter further states that "these matters were referenced in a May 30, 2003 electronic communication (EC) from the Behavioural Analysis Unit of the FBI to FBI headquarters". This will be referred to in other documents as a "must read" to understand Abu Ghraib.

This document forms part of the documentation released on 15 December 2004 by FBI in response to an FOIA court order.