When Al-Qaeda operatives are jailed, they are told to claim that they have been tortured. From the Al-Qaeda playbook:
1. At the beginning of the trial, once more the brothers must insist on proving that torture was inflicted on them by State Security [investigators ]before the judge.
2. Complain [to the court] of mistreatment while in prison.
3. Make arrangements for the brother “s defense with the attorney, whether he was retained by the brother “s family or court-appointed.
4. The brother has to do his best to know the names of the state security officers, who participated in his torture and mention their names to the judge.[These names may be obtained from brothers who had to deal with those officers in previous cases.]…
6. During the trial, the court has to be notified of any mistreatment of the brothers inside the prison.
From the Chicago Tribune, :
MIAMI, FLORIDA — Federal prosecutors on Monday denied claims by suspected Al Qaeda operative Jose Padilla that he was tortured during his 3 1/2 years in military custody as an enemy combatant.
In papers filed in federal court, prosecutors said Padilla, 36, provided no evidence to back up his claims and urged that the case against the former Chicago gang member not be dismissed based on his allegations. They insisted that Padilla was treated humanely while in a Navy brig in South Carolina.
“Padilla’s allegations of torture have no merit whatsoever,” prosecutors said.
Padilla’s lawyers last month asked a federal judge to dismiss the terrorism support charges against him based on their allegations that he suffered from “outrageous government conduct” while in military custody for more than 1,300 days.