Iraq Prison-Abuse Suit Against Contractor Allowed
A federal judge is allowing a civil lawsuit that claims employees of a U.S. military contractor took part in abuse and torture at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
Judge James Robertson of Washington, D.C., refused to grant a motion to dismiss the suit yesterday, the Washington Post reports.
The defendant, CACI International, claims it is immune from suit because it worked under the direction of the military. It also denies participating in abuse.
But Robertson said CACI interrogators had a dual chain of command, with supervisors exercising significant independent authority, the Associated Press reports.
The plaintiffs, more than 200 detainees at Abu Ghraib, are represented by lawyer Susan Burke and the Center for Constitutional Rights. Burke has also filed a lawsuit against Blackwater Worldwide for a September incident in which its security guards killed 17 Iraqi civilians.
