Naturally…

MIAMI (Reuters) - Lawyers for alleged al Qaeda operative Jose Padilla have asked a Florida judge to dismiss the terrorism case against him, saying he was tortured and force-fed psychedelic drugs while held at a U.S. military brig for more than 3-1/2 years.

“The torture took myriad forms, each designed to cause pain, anguish, depression and ultimately, the loss of will to live,” Padilla’s attorney’s said in the motion for dismissal filed in Miami federal court earlier this month.

“Often he had to endure multiple interrogators who would scream, shake and otherwise assault Mr. Padilla,” his lawyers said. “Additionally, Mr. Padilla was given drugs against his will, believed to be some form of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or phencyclidine (PCP), to act as a sort of truth serum during his interrogations.”

Presiding U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke on Monday gave the U.S. attorney’s office until November 14 by to respond to Padilla’s allegations, according to an order released by the court.

They screamed at him?  And shook him?

Absolutely shocking!

/sarcasm

As for the forced LSD use, wouldn’t there be a way to test for that?  I’m not a doctor, but I thought there were ways to tell if one had ever used a drug like LSD.

Regardless, allegations like this one are hardly surprising.  Given this country’s political climate, with one political party wildly exaggerating terror detainee treatment so as to use it as a political weapon, it’s hardly surprising that the “I was tortured” defense is about to become as common for terrorists on trial as the insanity defense has been in recent years for American criminal defendants.