- Donald H. Rumsfeld and George W. Bush, November 2006; Source: White House photo by Paul Morse
The veteran worked as a translator for the Marine in the Iraqi province of Anbar before he was detained and brought to Camp Cropper near Baghdad for allegedly passing on classified information to the enemy. He was never charged with any of the suspected crimes. The contractor says he was the first to establish direct contact to Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, who became an important ally for the U.S. military.
During the nine months in detention he says he was repeatedly tortured by guards who choked him, exposed him to extreme cold and continuous artificial light and deprived him from sleep. For the first three months he was allegedly held incommunicado in solitary confinement with a hole in the ground for a toilet. Later, he claims, he was physically abused by cellmates who were suspected of terrorism.
Rumsfeld has been represented by the Obama administration throughout the case. The Justice Department argued that a judge cannot review wartime decisions since these are the responsibility of Congress and the president. It also stressed that the case could lead to the disclosure of sensitive information. The judge refused these arguments by emphasising that U.S. citizens are protected by the constitution inside and outside of the United States of America.
BBC News: Rumsfeld Iraq 'torture' suit given go-ahead
