Jurist/Paper Chase: Federal judge allows Rumsfeld torture suit to proceed

"[JURIST] A judge for the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois [official website] on Friday denied [decision, PDF] a motion to dismiss a torture suit brought against former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld [JURIST news archive] by two American citizens captured while working in Iraq. Judge Wayne Andersen dismissed two other counts but allowed the count alleging the plaintiffs were subject to cruel and degrading treatment methods during their detention. The plaintiffs, Donald Vance and Nathan Ertel, were working for a private Iraqi security firm called Shield Group Security. There they witnessed suspicious activity that they reported to US authorities, but they were later arrested by US forces and detained without representation. The plaintiffs brought a cause of action recognized in Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics [opinion text] against Rumsfeld, claiming that he was personally responsible for the alleged unconstitutional treatment they faced while in detention." Click here to read more.