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August 12, 2009

Jailed Contractor Sues US for Rendition, Torture under Obama
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A Lebanese contractor is claiming to have been the first known victim of
rendition and torture under President Obama. In a new lawsuit against
the US government, Raymond Azar says he was coerced into confessing to
bribing a contract officer after his arrest in Afghanistan in April. A
federal agent reportedly threatened Azar with never seeing his family
again. Azar also says he was hooded, shackled, photographed naked,
strip-searched, subjected to extreme cold temperatures and
sleep-deprived. Azar was eventually sent to the United States, where he
now faces charges in a federal antitrust case.



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