9 Former Detainees Go To Court TODAY-To Hold Rummy Responsible For Torture

[kpete]

Former detainees will go to court today to hold Donald Rumsfeld responsible for the torture they endured. And guess what? Experts say the case isn't such a long shot. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/

Ex-Detainees Seek to Sue U.S. Officials
9 Former Prisoners Want Rumsfeld and Others Held Responsible for Torture

By Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 8, 2006; Page A10

In a federal courtroom today, nine former prisoners at U.S. military prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan will seek through an unusual lawsuit to hold outgoing Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and top military commanders personally responsible for the torture they say they endured.

Rumsfeld's lawyers will argue that he cannot be held legally responsible because anything he may have done -- including authorizing harsh interrogations at the Abu Ghraib and Bagram detention facilities -- was within the scope of his job as defense secretary to combat terrorists and prevent future attacks.

...................

"This is not about a few police officers who got out of line," said Deborah Pearlstein, a lawyer with Human Rights Watch. "The core of this case has to do with an overarching policy, a pervasive policy of allowing torture."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/07/AR2006120701979.html

[bigtree]

1. Rumsfeld wants torture lawsuit dismissed

December 8, 2006
Story Highlights
• Suit filed by Human Rights First, ACLU claims Rumsfeld OK'd abuse
• Government contends top officials immune from suits
• Government says allowing suits could disrupt military operations=

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Outgoing Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that would hold him personally responsible for torture in overseas military prisons.

The Justice Department argues that Rumsfeld cannot be sued. Government officials are generally immune from lawsuits related to their jobs unless they violate a constitutional right.

The civil rights groups say Rumsfeld violated the prisoners' right of due process and to be free of cruel and unusual punishment. The government argues that foreigners held outside the United States do not have constitutional rights.

If the court lets the lawsuit continue, the Justice Department said, it would allow prisoners around the world to use U.S. courts to disrupt military operations.

"Subjecting military leaders to such personal tort liability could distract them from their duties, and the specter of captured aliens harassing military personnel with time-consuming individual capacity litigation could cause grave damage to military morale," the government wrote in briefs filed with the court.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/12/08/detainee.abuse.ap/index.html



http://journals.democraticunderground.com/bigtree

[HereSince1628]

3. allowing suits could disrupt operations...I think that is exactly the point

isn't it? No more torture based interrogations.

[bigtree]

4. by their standard, there would be no laws at all to govern soldiers in their duties

"military morale" affected by "captured aliens with time-consuming individual capacity litigation?"

:eyes:

[HereSince1628]

6. Yeah, a laissez-faire military to go along with their free-market

economics. Together they nicely lead to unchecked global tyranny.

Note to military supporting the wacked-out supply siders: The BEFEE understands and expects that your blood will trickle down much faster than their money.

[SpiralHawk]

2. "Heh, heh. That's cool as long as they don't finger me." - Commander AWOL

"As long as I I I I I get off, it's cool."

- Commander AWOL, Top Torturer
and Cheerleader-in-Chief for the Occult Order of the Skull & Boner

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. Glad Rummie's retired

Now he'll have plenty of time to lawyer up and defend himself.

Shouldn't we apply the Patriot Act to his ass?