Nine former prisoners held in Iraq and Afghanistan are attempting to sue outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other senior Army leaders for authorizing torture. On Friday, lawyers from the ACLU and Human Rights First appeared before the U.S. District Court in Washington to argue that the lawsuit should be allowed to proceed. The former prisoners allege that they were beaten to the point of unconsciousness, mutilated, stabbed, urinated on, endured mock executions and other abuses. Government attorneys have argued the lawsuit should be dismissed. Meanwhile, Donald Rumsfeld met with staffers at the Pentagon on Friday to say goodbye.

Donald Rumsfeld: “I wish I could say that everything we have done here is going perfectly, but that is not how life works, regrettably.”

On Saturday, Rumsfeld made a surprise trip to Iraq.