January 11, 2002
The first detainees from the war in Afghanistan arrive at Camp X-Ray, Guantanamo Naval Base, Cuba.

January 25, 2002
Memo from White House counsel Alberto Gonzales argues that al-Qaeda and Taliban prisoners are not covered by the Geneva Conventions. Gonzales argues that in the war on terror Geneva’s “strict limitations on questioning of enemy prisoners” are “obsolete”. Gonzales also notes that not applying Geneva Conventions “substantially reduces the threat of domestic criminal prosecution” under the federal War Crimes Act.

January 26, 2002
Memo from Secretary of State Colin Powell warns that declaring the Geneva Conventions inapplicable would “reverse over a century of U.S. policy and practice…and undermine the protection of the laws of war for our troops.”

February 2, 2002
State Department memo of this date reveals that CIA lawyers have asked that, if the government promises to abide by the provisions of the Geneva Conventions as a matter of policy (as opposed to law), the policy should be understood not to apply to CIA agents.

February 7,2002
President Bush determines that the Geneva Conventions apply to Taliban detainees but not to al-Qaeda detainees. However Bush rules that under the Geneva Conventions Taliban detainees are not eligible for prisoner of war status. The administration pledges that detainees will be treated in a manner consistent with the Conventions’ rules for POWs “to the extent appropriate and consistent with military necessity.”

August 1, 2002
Memo from Jay Bybee of the Department of Justice in response to request from the CIA regarding the interrogation of al-Qaeda suspects. The memo states that torturing suspects abroad “may be justified”. It argues that the President’s status as Commander-in-Chief means he is not bound by federal law against torture and also states that to constitute torture, the pain suffered by the victim “must be equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily function, or even death.”

December 2, 2002
Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld authorizes non-standard interrogation measures for use at Guantanamo Bay, in response to complaints that existing guidelines “limit the ability of interrogators to counter advanced resistance.” Techniques approved include stress positions for up to 4 hours, hooding, removal of clothing, and use of dogs to induce stress. Defence Department later says none of these techniques were actually used.

December 3 & 10, 2002
Two Afghan detainees are killed at the Bagram air base in Afghanistan. Their deaths are described as “homicide” by military pathologists. U.S. authorities later say the deaths are being investigated; no results have ever been reported. Afghans held at the same location report being hooded, chained in uncomfortable positions and stripped. Interrogations at the center were conducted by Company A, 519th Military Intelligence Battalion, which moved in early 2003 to Iraq. Some of its members were later involved in interrogations at Abu Ghraib.

January 15, 2003
Rumsfeld removes authorization for commanders at Guantanamo to use techniques approved on December 2, 2002, following concerns voiced by military lawyers. Techniques now require specific clearance by Rumsfeld to be used in any individual case. Rumsfeld orders new working group to assess “legal, policy and operational issues relating to the interrogations of detainees” in the war on terrorism.

March 20, 2003
War in Iraq begins.

April 4, 2003
Legal working group finalizes report on detainee interrogation in the war on terror. Report argues that U.S. laws against torture “must be construed as inapplicable” to interrogations ordered by President as Commander-in-Chief, and that customary international laws of war do not provide “legally-enforceable restrictions”. Report says the following “exceptional techniques” should be allowed: forced shaving; sleep deprivation, prolonged standing, face or stomach slap, isolation, removal of clothing, and “use of aversions”.

April 16, 2003
Rumsfeld issues memo stating which techniques are approved for interrogations at Guantanamo Bay. Approved measures include sleep adjustment (“NOT sleep deprivation”), environmental manipulation, and isolation but not many of the measures recommended by working group.

May 12 2003
Soldiers from the 320th Military Brigade abuse detainees at Camp Bucca by kicking and beating them. The soldiers responsible are demoted and discharged.

May 2003
The International Committee of the Red Cross presents a report to the coalition forces documenting nearly 200 instances of abuse against prisoners of war and other detainees.

June 6, 2003
Nagem Sadoon Hatab, a former high ranking member of the Iraqi Baath party dies at Camp White Horse near Nasiriyah, after a Marine grabs him by the neck, breaking a bone that cuts off his air supply. Two U.S. Marines are currently awaiting court-martial on charges including negligent homicide and assault.

June 21, 2003
Death of Abdul Wali after interrogation at U.S. military base near Asadabad, Afghanistan. David Passaro, a former Special Forces soldier working as a contractor for the CIA has been charged with assault for allegedly beating Wali with a large flashlight.

June 25, 2003
In a letter to Senator Patrick Leahy, William Haynes, the general counsel of the Defense department writes that “all interrogations, wherever they may occur, must be conducted without the use of cruel and inhuman tactics.”

June 30, 2003
Brigadier General Janis Karpinski takes command of the 800th Military Police Brigade, which has been given charge of the Iraqi penal system and the command of several detention centers.

Late August, 2003
Capt. Carolyn A. Wood of the 519th Military Intelligence Battalion, who had previously overseen interrogations at the Bagram air base in Afghanistan where two detainees were killed, is now in charge of interrogations at Abu Ghraib. She proposes a set of rules for interrogation that are approved by lawyers for Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of coalition forces.

August 18, 2003
Acting on a request from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Stephen Cambone, Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Pentagon orders Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, commander of the Guantanamo Bay detention centre, to Iraq to report on how to improve the flow of intelligence from detainees at Abu Ghraib.

August 31 to September 9, 2003
Maj. Gen. Miller visits Iraq with a 30-member team. In his assessment Miller recommended the setting up of a specialist interrogation and debriefing center at Abu Ghraib under the authority of military intelligence. He also recommended that prison guards be “passively involved in the ability to interrogate rapidly and effectively.” According to Col. Thomas Pappas, the senior intelligence officer at Abu Ghraib, Miller suggested to Pappas that guard dogs “with or without muzzles” might be used to intimidate prisoners during interrogation. Miller denies having said this.

September 10, 2003
Following Miller’s visit, Sanchez approves a document on “Interrogation and Counter Resistance Policy” that allows officers in charge of interrogation at Abu Ghraib to use noise, exposure to extreme temperatures, muzzled dogs, reversal of sleep patterns, diets or bread and water, and placing detainees in “stress positions” for 45 minutes every four hours without obtaining approval from anyone outside the prison.

October 9, 2003
A one-page memo entitled “Interrogation Rules of Engagement” is issued to U.S. personnel at Abu Ghraib and posted in public places in the prison. The document, summarizes the guidelines approved by Gen. Sanchez on September 10.

October 12, 2003
After objections from officials at U.S. Central Command, Gen. Sanchez revises his guidelines on interrogation practices. Removal of religious items and keeping prisoners in darkness are no longer allowed. Other measures - including changes to diet, isolation for more than 30 days, using military dogs, and stress positions for up to 45 minutes - are only permitted with direct approval from Sanchez. Officials have said that after this date Sanchez approved the use only of long-term isolation.

Late October to early November 2003
The most serious abuses take place at Abu Ghraib prison according to General Taguba’s report.

November 6, 2003
The International Committee of the Red Cross complains in writing to coalition forces about the abuses it saw at two unannounced visits to Abu Ghraib in October, including the forced nudity of detainees, and humiliating detainees by placing women’s underwear over their heads.

Mid-November 2003
A U.S. military Detainee Assessment Branch at Abu Ghraib begins reporting allegations of prisoner abuse culled from interviews with detainees. According to members of the unit, at least 20 allegations of abuse were included in reports that were passed to senior officers including Brig. Gen. Karpinski, Maj. Gen. Barbara Fast (the top Army intelligence officer in Iraq) and a lawyer.

Following a request made by C.I.A. director George Tenet, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld approves that a detainee who was “actively planning operations specifically targeting U.S. forces and interests” is held secretly at Camp Cropper without being included on prison rolls or reported to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The detainee was still being secretly held in June, and was only questioned once during this period.

November 19, 2003
Col. Thomas M. Pappas, Commander of the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade, is given tactical control over cell blocks 1A and 1B Abu Ghraib (where suspects for interrogation are imprisoned) by Gen. Sanchez.

November 26, 2003
Iraqi Army general Abed Hamed Mowhoush is killed during interrogation at al-Quaim. He was apparently forced into a sleeping bag and then sat on and rolled over by interrogators.

December 2003
Dog handlers at Abu Ghraib have testified that they were ordered on several occasions during December 2003 and January 2004 by military intelligence officers at Abu Ghraib to use their dogs to frighten suspects during interrogation. Handlers testified that Col. Pappas told them it was permitted to use their dogs without muzzles during questioning.

December 24, 2003
The U.S. military responds to the ICRC’s detailed catalogue of abuses by stating that there were “clear procedures governing interrogation[s]” and claiming that isolating some of the inmates was necessary militarily due to their “significant intelligence value”. The letter was signed by Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski. Its contents were discussed at a meeting with Brig. Gen. Barbara Fast, Maj. Gen. Walter Wojdakowski (deputy to Gen. Sanchez) and Col. Marc Warren (Sanchez’ legal advisor).

January 13, 2004
Specialist Joseph M. Darby, a member of the 372nd Military Police Company at Abu Ghraib, places an anonymous letter and a disc with graphic pictures of abuse at the prison under the door of his superior.

January 17, 2004
General Sanchez reprimands Brigadier General Janis Karpinski for misconduct. He orders a “criminal investigation into reports of abuse of prisoners at an unspecified coalition detention center.”

January 31, 2004
General Taguba is appointed to conduct an investigation at Abu Ghraib prison.

February 2004
International Committee of the Red Cross submits full written report to coalition authorities. The report says that “physical and psychological coercion” were part of the standard operating procedures of military intelligence and that “several military intelligence officers confirmed that it was part of the military intelligence process to hold a person deprived of his liberty naked in a completely dark and empty cell for a prolonged period.” It also document numerous other forms of ill-treatment.

March 3, 2004
Gen. Taguba completes his report, and it is forwarded to Lt. Gen. David McKiernan.

April 15, 2004
Maj. General Geoffrey Miller takes charge of the Iraqi prisons run by the U.S. military, replacing General Karpinski.

April 28, 2004
CBS airs graphic pictures of abuses at Abu Ghraib in 60 Minutes II:

May 22, 2004
The Pentagon starts investigations into the deaths of 27 detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan, some of which date back to 2002.

June 16, 2004
It is announced that Lt. Gen. Anthony Jones will take over the Army investigation into the role of military intelligence at Abu Ghraib from Maj. Gen. George Fay. Jones is a more senior officer who will be able to question officers up to and including Lt. Gen. Sanchez. At the same time, Sanchez removes himself as supervising officer for the investigation and is replaced by Gen. Paul J. Kern, head of the Army Matériel Command.

June 22, 2004
Justice Department officials disavow Aug 2002 memo on torture, claiming it is “overbroad and irrelevant”, and announce review of all advice on interrogation from the Department Office of Legal Counsel.

Research by Marianne Schulze