In a “top secret” paper (undated) entitled “The CIA Interrogation of Abu Zubaydah, March 2001 – January 2003,” in a section that, though heavily redacted, describes the review of the tapes by a CIA attorney from the Office of General Counsel, “interrogation materials” are described as consisting of “videotapes, logbook, notebook, and psychologist’s notes.” From what is known or speculated about a second taping system used in the interrogation of Zubaydah, it seems likely that psychologist notes were also an integral part of the process involved in the use of those tapes. The specific use of psychologist’s notes corroborates earlier information that ongoing psychological and medical observations were playing a key role in the CIA interrogation process.

Over the past month, former Vice President Dick Cheney, torture memo author John Yoo and ex-Bush speechwriter Marc Thiessen said waterboarding is a safe interrogation method, with Thiessen going so far as to say it’s sanctioned by the Catholic Church. But a never before released DOD memo said the torture method leaves psychological damage and is unsafe. Moreover, there’s been a serious campaign within the SERE community to ban waterboarding from the one Navy school where it is still used.