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Appeals Court Dismisses Lawsuit Against Rumsfeld for Iraq Torture of 2 U.S. Contractors

HeadlineNov 09, 2012

A federal appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit against former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld for his role in crafting policies that led to torture in Iraq. In an 8-to-3 decision, the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled two American citizens allegedly tortured at a U.S. military base in Iraq have no right to sue Rumsfeld and other U.S. officials. The plaintiffs, Donald Vance and Nathan Ertel, were reportedly arrested and tortured after collaborating with the FBI in an investigation of their employer in Iraq, the private security company Shield Group Security. The two men were eventually released and never charged with a crime. Wednesday’s decision overturns two previous court rulings allowing the case to proceed. The Obama administration followed the Bush administration in seeking the lawsuit’s dismissal.

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