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The Straight Story

(48,121 posts) Mon Sep 16, 2013, 02:57 PM Sep 2013

Abu Ghraib Torture Victims Ordered To Pay U.S. Contractor's Legal Fees

WASHINGTON -- A federal judge on Wednesday ordered four Iraqis who were imprisoned at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison to pay nearly $14,000 in legal fees to defense contractor CACI, an Arlington, Va.-based company that supplied interrogators to the U.S. government during the Iraq War.

The decision in favor of CACI stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the former prisoners in 2008, alleging that CACI employees directed the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. The suit was dismissed in June, when U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee ruled that because the alleged acts took place on foreign soil, CACI was "immune from suit" in U.S. court.

Lee did not, however, directly address the question of whether CACI employees took part in the mistreatment of prisoners. The treatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib exploded into an international scandal in 2004, when shocking photos emerged of prisoners being stacked on top of each other, threatened with dogs, and sexually abused.

A little over a month after winning the dismissal this summer, CACI requested that the former prisoners be ordered to pay $15,580 to cover the company's legal expenses.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/06/abu-ghraib-iraq_n_3876177.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

6 replies

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Abu Ghraib Torture Victims Ordered To Pay U.S. Contractor's Legal Fees (Original Post) The Straight Story Sep 2013 OP

That is sos fucked up gopiscrap Sep 2013 #1

This Is Simply Bizarre, Sir The Magistrate Sep 2013 #2

The judge doesn't have much choice....it's federal rules. nt msanthrope Sep 2013 #4

I Suspect On Re-Reading you Are Right, Ma'am, Unfortunately The Magistrate Sep 2013 #6

These days, I'm surprised they weren't expected to pay rent. sibelian Sep 2013 #3

I'd say "Come to Iraq and collect" hobbit709 Sep 2013 #5

gopiscrap

(23,762 posts)

1. That is sos fucked up

Reply to The Straight Story (Original post)

Mon Sep 16, 2013, 03:03 PM

Sep 2013

The Magistrate

(95,248 posts)

2. This Is Simply Bizarre, Sir

Reply to The Straight Story (Original post)

Mon Sep 16, 2013, 03:17 PM

Sep 2013

That it will never be collected is no excuse for the judge.

msanthrope

(37,549 posts)

4. The judge doesn't have much choice....it's federal rules. nt

Reply to The Magistrate (Reply #2)

Mon Sep 16, 2013, 04:01 PM

Sep 2013

The Magistrate

(95,248 posts)

6. I Suspect On Re-Reading you Are Right, Ma'am, Unfortunately

Reply to msanthrope (Reply #4)

Mon Sep 16, 2013, 04:38 PM

Sep 2013

I had been under the impression there was some discretion in decision to assess fees against the losing side.

It is still a great injustice.

The judge should have found a way to rule the case come to trial.

sibelian

(7,804 posts)

3. These days, I'm surprised they weren't expected to pay rent.

Reply to The Straight Story (Original post)

Mon Sep 16, 2013, 03:20 PM

Sep 2013

I fully expect the CACI employees to sue them for emotional trauma sustained during the previous suit.

hobbit709

(41,694 posts)

5. I'd say "Come to Iraq and collect"

Reply to The Straight Story (Original post)

Mon Sep 16, 2013, 04:02 PM

Sep 2013

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