Rumsfeld torture suit dismissed

Rumsfeld torture suit dismissed

A US court has dismissed a lawsuit against former US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld over claims prisoners were tortured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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But Judge Thomas Hogan ruled the five Iraqis and four Afghans did not have US constitutional rights, and also that Mr Rumsfeld was immune from such suits.

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In a ruling stretching to nearly 60 pages, the chief judge of the US district court for the District of Columbia said the allegations of torture were "horrifying".

Details of abuse
The nine men suffered abuse including being:
hung upside-down and slapped until they lost consciousness
stabbed with knives
subjected to electric shocks
deprived of sleep by loud noises and bright lights
grabbed by aggressive dogs
They also were subjected to sexual humiliation.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6501499.stm

None was ever charged with a crime.
All were released after detentions of one month to one year.
Some were detained multiple times.

"Mr Rumsfeld has apologised for the abuse scandals."

Oh, well, then it's all ok Rummy.

The truth of the matter is that this decision not only goes against the laws of human decency, it breaks international laws, particularly the Geneva convention.

Not only is torture itself against the convention and most humanitarian principles, but the Geneva convention states that the torturer must pay for the results of his actions, including all the physical and mental rehabilitation costs, which are bound to be lengthy and expensive.

This has returned to the front of the burner at the UN.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6501541.stm

Torturers 'must pay victims' - UN

Mr Nowak suggested that individual torturers should foot the bill
States that commit acts of torture should be forced to pay for victims' rehabilitation, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Manfred Nowak has said.
Mr Nowak said torture victims required long and costly treatment, and usually rich nations footed the bill rather than the offending states.

Mr Nowak said the EU was the biggest donor to torture rehabilitation centres, providing $29m (22m euros).

He was presenting his annual report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

"Countries where torture is widespread or even systematic should be held accountable to pay," the UN rapporteur said