U.S. Court of Appeals Allows Torture Case Against Rumsfeld To Go Forward

Upholding a federal judge’s ruling from last year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit cleared the way today for a lawsuit filed against former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld over the use of torture. After facing detention at the hands of U.S. military forces, two Americans sued Rumsfeld and unnamed others for “developing, authorizing and using harsh interrogation techniques in Iraq against them” in violation of their constitutional rights. Both the Bush and Obama administrations have opposed the case, but the appeals court allowed the case to move forward, holding that the “plaintiffs have alleged sufficient facts to show that Secretary Rumsfeld personally established the relevant policies.” A Washington district judge already ruled earlier this month that an American contractor could bring a similar torture suit against Rumsfeld.

— Sarah Bufkin