Joshua Claus

Joshua R. Claus is a former member of the United States Army, whose unit was present at both Iraq's Abu Ghraib and at the Bagram Theater Detention Facility in Afghanistan, and was the first interrogator of Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr. In 2005, he was found guilty of maltreatment and assault against an Afghanistan detainee who later died.[1][2]

Claus's role in the deaths in custody of Dilawar and Habibullah

See also: Bagram torture and prisoner abuse

Claus pled guilty to playing a role in the routine abuse of captives held in extrajudicial detention in the Bagram Theatre Detention Facility in 2002,[3][4] at a time when Claus's unit, the 519th Military Intelligence Battalion, was assigned to Bagram. Detainees Habibullah and Dilawar (surnames were not provided) were killed in custody during that time. Military pathologists classified the killings as homicides. Claus and 27 other members of the United States Armed Forces were named for the role they played in the abuse. which was routine. However, military prosecutors decided that responsibility for the men's deaths was spread too broadly for any one soldier to face murder or manslaughter charges.

Claus was charged with assault, prisoner maltreatment, and lying to investigators. He pled guilty, and received a five-month prison sentence in 2005.

Claus's interrogation of Omar Khadr

See also: Omar Khadr

On March 14, 2008, it became known that Claus was one of Omar Khadr's first interrogators.[2] The U.S. government has attempted to keep this information suppressed, asking reporters to identify Claus as "Interrogator One."[5] Claus was given immunity from prosecution for any possible abuse of Khadr during the interrogation, in return for his testimony at Khadr's murder trial before a military tribunal at Guantanamo, Cuba.[6] The trial began on August 10, 2010.[7]

References

  1. ^ Carlotta Gall (September 28, 2005). "Suicide Bomber on Motorbike Kills 8 Afghan Soldiers and a Civilian". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/29/international/asia/29afghan.html?_r=1&oref=slogin. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  2. ^ a b Steven Edwards (March 14, 2008). "Was Omar Khadr coerced?". National Post. http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=373277. Retrieved 2008-03-26. "Legal arguments before the U.S. war crimes commission in Guantanamo Bay indicated Sgt. Joshua Claus of military intelligence participated in many, maybe all, of the interrogations of the Canadian terror suspect after U.S. forces delivered him to the Bagram detention centre in Afghanistan in July 2002." 
  3. ^ "Abuse Cases". PEGC. http://www.pegc.us/amicus/abuse_cases/abu_ghraib_trials.txt. Retrieved 2008-03-26. "charged with assault, prisoner maltreatment, and lying to investigators" 
  4. ^ "Other Abuse Cases". PEGC. http://www.pegc.us/amicus/abuse_cases/other_abuse_cases.txt. Retrieved 2008-03-26. "The next morning, December 9, 2002, Dilawar was subjected to his final interrogation at which he was unable to kneel when ordered or physically comply with anything. This caused the interrogation session to erode to more physical abuse. An interrogator identified as Spc. Joshua Claus took over from Walls, who remained present. Dilawar's last interrogation eroded into more abuse and assault and he was returned to his cell and re-shackled.

    "Dilawar was found dead the next morning." 

  5. ^ Froomkin, Dan (2010-05-07). "Obama Administration Demands Amnesia From Reporters Covering Gitmo". Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/07/obama-administration-dema_n_568208.html. 
  6. ^ Captured Khadr nearly executed: documents Toronto Star, March 19, 2008
  7. ^ Jury pool queried in terror trial of detainee Khadr Miami Herald, August 10, 2010