Originally published Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Abu Ghraib torture lawsuit moved to Virginia
A federal lawsuit filed in Seattle against a Renton man accused of torture while an interrogator at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq has been transferred to the U.S. District Court in Eastern Virginia.
Seattle Times staff reporter
A federal lawsuit filed in Seattle against a Renton man accused of torture while he was an interrogator at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq has been transferred to the U.S. District Court in Eastern Virginia.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez granted an unopposed motion by Daniel "DJ" Johnson of Renton and other defendants in the lawsuit to consolidate three such lawsuits in Alexandria, Va., near the headquarters of one of the chief defendants, CACI International. CACI employed Johnson and Timothy Dugan of Pataskala, Ohio, as interrogators, and L-3 Communications, which employed the third individual, Adel Nakhla.
Three separate lawsuits were filed last month in Seattle, Greenbelt, Md., and Columbus, Ohio alleging the men were involved in the torture of detainees at the Baghdad prison in 2003 and 2004 and that their companies conspired to cover up the acts.
The Seattle lawsuit was filed by Sa'adoon Ali Hameed Al-Ogaidi, a 36-year-old Arabic teacher and Baghdad shopkeeper who said he was taken from his home in late 2003 and held as a "ghost detainee" at the prison. He suffered torture for more than a year before his release, according to the lawsuit.
While Al-Ogaidi did not know the names of his tormentors, the lawsuit alleges, "facts known to date" indicate that Johnson and other defendants "conspired with certain military personnel to torture prisons kept at the Abu Ghraib hard site."
Johnson had not commented on the lawsuit. His lawyer, Patrick O'Donnell said he was a 21-year-old fresh out of the Army who went to Iraq to further serve his country, "which he did honorably."
Al-Ogaidi's attorney, Gilbert Levy of Seattle, did not immediately return a call for comment.
Mike Carter: 206-464-3706 or mcarter@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
UPDATE - 01:12 AM
Round 2: Snow slams Mid-Atlantic, points north
UPDATE - 12:53 AM
Officials: Afghan avalanches kill 157 people
UPDATE - 12:46 AM
Political supporters clash in streets of Sri Lanka
UPDATE - 12:32 AM
Storm dumps rain, hail, snow in SoCal
UPDATE - 12:30 AM
World stocks rise as Europe debt crisis fears ease

nwautos
Associated Press Study: Fatal crashes down in Washington Last year Washington's roads were the scene of the fewest fatal crashes since 1955. According...
Post a comment
nwjobs
Post a comment
Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
Five reasons to stick with a job you hate -- for now
Post a comment
- Alaska Air dropping Jones Soda beverages, going back to Coca-Cola
- Man found shot dead in pickup truck in Seattle
- Seattle is first U.S. stop for Picasso exhibit
- Husky Football Blog | Pac-10 expansion to get consideration over next year
- State Senate votes to clear way for tax increases
- Idol Confessions | "American Idol" hopeful from Seattle didn't make it to Hollywood afterall
- Belltown boulevard could be completed by early next year
- Nicole Brodeur | Chrisceda Clemmons' house wasn't the only casualty
- Brier Dudley's Blog | Google rolls its own Facebook & Twitter with Gmail "Buzz"
- Sex, drug rumors swirl about N.Y. Gov. Paterson
- Republicans may be no-shows at health-plan summit
278 - Pac-10 expansion to get consideration over next year
249 - State Senate votes to clear way for tax increases
248 - Lee undergoes foot surgery
231 - Obama: GOP and Dems together can spur job growth
210 - Fort Lewis soldier charged with abusing 4-year-old, holding her head in water
193 - Rivals names Martin one of Pac-10's best recruiters
143 - Belltown boulevard could be completed by early next year
127 - Bus-tunnel attack while guards watched prompts review of Metro security
113 - White House mocks Sarah Palin from podium
91
- Seattle is first U.S. stop for Picasso exhibit
- Belltown boulevard could be completed by early next year
- 747-8 soars smoothly on first outing
- Wine Adviser | Oregon's quality pinots join the bargain ranks
- Alaska Air dropping Jones Soda beverages, going back to Coca-Cola
- Snap out of your photo funk: How to make sense of all those piles of images
- How clean are those pre-washed salad greens?
- Answers to biggest Olympic TV questions
- Jerry Brewer | Huskies softball pitcher Danielle Lawrie: A star on the field, not in her mind
- Rick Steves' Europe | What's new in Rome and Venice for 2010





