In May 2002, Vice President Cheney participated in White House meetings with CIA Director George Tenet, NSA Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Powell, and AG Ashcroft to approve specific interrogation techniques for Abu Zubaydah. The torture memos of August 1, 2002 were written specifically to authorize the CIA to waterboard Abu Zubaydah, who was being held at a secret CIA black site in Thailand. He was subsequently waterboarded 83 times.

On July 17, 2002, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice gave verbal approval for the CIA to use 'alternative interrogation methods' on Abu Zubaydah, including waterboarding. Zubaydah was the first detainee subjected to the CIA's enhanced interrogation program. He was waterboarded 83 times. Rice later said 'I didn't authorize anything. I conveyed the authorization of the administration to the agency.' The Senate Intelligence Committee confirmed Rice's role in approving the techniques. Zubaydah has never been charged with a crime and remains detained at Guantanamo Bay since 2006. His case became central to the global torture debate and U.S. credibility on human rights.

Abu Zubaydah was the first detainee subjected to the CIA enhanced interrogation program that Tenet personally authorized. Captured in March 2002, he was waterboarded 83 times at a CIA black site in Thailand. Tenet personally sought authorization from Rice on July 17, 2002 to proceed.