Padilla judge could expose domestic Abu Ghraib tactics

It's still speculative now, but I really hope this happens.

WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Miami will soon make one of the most important rulings in the Bush administration's war on terrorism and decide whether to publicly explore evidence that an accused terrorist was brutally mistreated for years inside a one-man isolation cell.

The allegations involve Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen once portrayed as one of the most dangerous Al Qaeda operatives ever arrested. Padilla's lawyers have asked U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke to set him free because of the abuse they say he suffered.

...Though federal judges rarely dismiss criminal charges before trial, the allegations are so extreme that they may prompt Cooke to hold a pretrial hearing in what would be the first public court examination into how detainees were handled after the Sept. 11 attacks.

If Padilla testifies, it will also be the first time a "terrorist" detainee spoke in open court about his torment. I hope the judge is brave enough to hold the hearings and dismisses the case.

As I've said before, Padilla is probably not a very good person but he's not a terrorist and should be set free. He's suffered enough and the residual effects of his torture -- and yes that's the only word to describe it -- will linger on for the rest of his life.