Joshua Claus
Encyclopedia
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.
in the Bagram Theatre Detention Facility in 2002, 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 homicide
s. 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.
's first interrogators. The U.S. government has attempted to keep this information suppressed, asking reporters to identify Claus as "Interrogator One." 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. The trial began on August 10, 2010.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, whose unit was present at both Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
's Abu Ghraib
Abu Ghraib
The city of Abu Ghraib in the Baghdad Governorate of Iraq is located just west of Baghdad's city center, or northwest of Baghdad International Airport. It has a population of 189,000. The old road to Jordan passes through Abu Ghraib...
and at the Bagram Theater Detention Facility in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and was the first interrogator of Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
Omar Khadr
Omar Ahmed Khadr is a Canadian child soldier and one of the juveniles held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. He was convicted of five charges under the United States Military Commissions Act of 2009 including murder in violation of the law of war and providing material support for terrorism,...
. In 2005, he was found guilty of maltreatment and assault against an Afghanistan detainee who later died.
Claus's role in the deaths in custody of Dilawar and Habibullah
Claus pled guilty to playing a role in the routine abuse of captives held in extrajudicial detentionExtrajudicial detention
Arbitrary or extrajudicial detention is the detention of individuals by a state, without ever laying formal charges against them.Although it has a long history of legitimate use in wartime , detention without charge, sometimes in secret, has been one of the hallmarks of totalitarian states...
in the Bagram Theatre Detention Facility in 2002, at a time when Claus's unit, the 519th Military Intelligence Battalion
519th Military Intelligence Battalion
The 519th Military Intelligence Battalion is a unit of the United States Army.Personnel of the 519th MI Battalion were alleged to have killed the Afghan detainee Dilawar in custody at Bagram Theater Internment Facility in December 2002....
, was assigned to Bagram. Detainees Habibullah
Habibullah
Mullah Habibullah was an Afghan who died while in US custody on December 4, 2002.His death was one of those classed as a homicide, though the initial military statement described his death as due to natural causes.Habibullah's brother was a Taliban leader....
and Dilawar (surnames were not provided) were killed in custody during that time. Military pathologists classified the killings as homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
s. Claus and 27 other members of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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
On March 14, 2008, it became known that Claus was one of Omar KhadrOmar Khadr
Omar Ahmed Khadr is a Canadian child soldier and one of the juveniles held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. He was convicted of five charges under the United States Military Commissions Act of 2009 including murder in violation of the law of war and providing material support for terrorism,...
's first interrogators. The U.S. government has attempted to keep this information suppressed, asking reporters to identify Claus as "Interrogator One." 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
Guantánamo
Guantánamo is a municipality and city in southeast Cuba and capital of Guantánamo Province.Guantánamo is served by the Caimanera port and the site of a famous U.S. Naval base. The area produces sugarcane and cotton wool...
, Cuba. The trial began on August 10, 2010.